Efficacy of acupuncture and laser acupuncture in temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to perform a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the scientific literature regarding the use of acupuncture and laser acupuncture in the treatment of pain associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). The aim of this article was to assess the clinical evidence for acupuncture and laser acupuncture therapies as treatment for temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This systematic review includes randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of acupuncture and laser acupuncture as a treatment for TMD compared to other treatments. Systematic searches were conducted in 3 electronic databases up to July 2023; PubMed, EMBASE, and SCOPUS databases. All RCTs of acupuncture for TMD were searched without language restrictions. Studies in which no clinical data and complex interventions were excluded. The Cochrane risk of bias tool (RoB 2) tool was employed to analyze randomized controlled trials. A Meta-analysis was performed in order to investigate a quantitative analysis comparing acupuncture and laser acupuncture to placebo. RESULTS: A total of 11 RCTs met our inclusion criteria. The findings show that acupuncture is short-term helpful for reducing the severity of TMD pain with muscle origin. Meta-analysis revealed that the Acupuncture group and Laser Acupuncture group had a higher efficacy rate than the Placebo control group, showing a high efficacy of Acupuncture and Laser Acupuncture group in the treatment of temporomandibular. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our systematic review demonstrate that the evidence for acupuncture as a symptomatic treatment of TMD is limited. Further rigorous studies are, however, required to establish beyond doubt whether acupuncture has therapeutic value for this indication. However high efficacy of Laser Acupuncture in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders was reported.

Survival and mechanical complications of single- and multiple-unit cement-retained posterior implant-supported restorations with custom CAD/CAM Atlantis titanium abutments: An up to 10-year retrospective analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the survival of and incidence of mechanical complications with single- and multiple-unit cement-retained posterior implant-supported restorations with custom CAD/CAM Atlantis titanium abutments (Dentsply Sirona, Charlotte, NC, USA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective clinical study analysed 196 Astra Tech OsseoSpeed TX Internal Hexagon implants (Dentsply Sirona) placed in 85 patients between January 2011 and January 2021. Customised Atlantis titanium abutments and cement-retained metal-ceramic crowns were employed. The clinical outcomes recorded were implant and abutment survival rates, and mechanical complications. The results were analysed according to implant length and diameter, arch, implant position and single- or multiple-unit restoration. RESULTS: Over the observation period (up to 10 years), implant and abutment survival rates were 98.5% and 100.0%, respectively. The mean observation period for the single- and multiple-unit implant-supported restorations was 106.00 ± 20.84 months, with a minimum of 41 months and a maximum of 120 months. For the 67 single-unit and 129 multiple-unit posterior implant-supported restorations, four mechanical complications were recorded: two cases of screw loosening, one case of chipping or fracture of veneering materials, and one case of crown decementation. No screw or abutment fractures were observed. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of this retrospective clinical study, cement-retained posterior implant-supported restorations with custom CAD/CAM Atlantis titanium abutments showed high survival rates over a follow-up period of up to 10 years. No statistically significant differences were recorded when comparing implant position, implant diameter, implant length, single- versus multiple-unit restoration and arch.

Congenital cranio-facial abnormalities in paediatric population: a systematic review on temporomandibular disorders.

The aim of this systematic review was to explore the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in patients affected by congenital craniofacial disorders (CCD). Out of 292 papers, 9 studies were included with 561 participants. The included studies analyzed at least 15 patients treated for temporomandibular disorders, evaluating at least one clinical outcomes such as orofacial pain and/or muscular diseases, malocclusion, skeletal abnormality and/or deformities concerning temporomandibular joint, upper/lower jaw bone malformations. These findings provide an evidence of an association between temporomandibular disorders and congenital craniofacial disorders. The evidence is supported by the findings of a small number of papers in the literature, some of which were of just fair quality. To be definitive in this regard, additional research with a sizable sample size and control group are required.

Survival and Mechanical Complications of Posterior Single Implant-Supported Restorations Using Prefabricated Titanium Abutments: A Medium- and Long-Term Retrospective Analysis with up to 10 Years Follow-up.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the survival of implants and abutments and the incidence of mechanical complications of single posterior implant-supported restorations using prefabricated titanium abutments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective clinical study analyzed 172 Astra Tech OsseoSpeed internal hexagon implants (Dentsply Sirona) placed in 85 patients with a follow-up between January 2009 and January 2019. All implants were restored with prefabricated titanium abutments and cement-retained metal-ceramic crowns. The clinical outcomes recorded were implant and abutment survival rates and mechanical complications (abutment/implant fractures, screw loosening/fracture, decementation of the superstructure, veneer chipping/fractures) and were analyzed according to age, sex, implant length/diameter, bone graft, arch, implant position, parafunctional habit or dental status, and opposite arch. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to determine whether the distribution of time to event/failure differed based on implant position (premolar or molar), implant diameter, or abutment angulation. RESULTS: During the observation period (mean: 108 months), implant and abutment cumulative survival rates were 97.7% and 98.3%, respectively, with no statistically significant differences between implant positions (molar/premolar), implant diameters (3.5 vs 4 mm), or abutment angles (straight vs 15 degrees). Of the 172 single posterior implant-supported restorations, 14 mechanical complications (8.2%) were recorded. In particular, 3 abutment fractures (1.7%), 2 screw loosenings (1.2%), 2 screw fractures (1.2%), 1 implant fracture (0.6%), 2 chipping/fractures of veneering materials (1.2%), and 4 decementations of the superstructure (2.3%) occurred. CONCLUSION: The single posterior implant-supported restorations using prefabricated titanium abutments remain a clinically acceptable treatment in terms of prosthetic procedure and cost-effectiveness.

The influence of flap design on patients' experiencing pain, swelling, and trismus after mandibular third molar surgery: a scoping systematic review.

Third molar removal surgery usually comes accompanied by postoperative discomfort, which could be influenced by the surgical approach chosen. This scoping systematic review aimed at compiling the available evidence focused on the influence of flap design, including envelope flap (EF), triangular flap (TF), and modified triangular flap (MTF), on postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus, as primary outcome measures, and any result mentioning healing promotion or delay, as secondary outcome measure, after mandibular third molar extraction surgery. An electronic search, complemented by a manual search, of articles published from 1999 to 2020 was conducted in the Medline (PubMed), EMBASE and Web of Science databases including human randomized controlled trials, prospective, and retrospective studies with at least 15 patients. The risk of bias of the included studies was assessed either with the Cochrane's Risk of Bias tool or with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Every step of the review was performed independently and in duplicate. The initial electronic search recovered 2102 articles. After applying the inclusion criteria, 12 articles were included. For patient's perceived postoperative pain, TF and MTF frequently reported better results than EF. For swelling, the literature is divided, despite a trend favoring EF. For trismus, data showed that its occurrence is mostly associated with the duration of the surgery rather than with the chosen flap. For healing, the limited data is inconclusive. Finally, randomized studies showed a high risk of bias, whereas nonrandomized studies were mostly of good quality and low risk of bias. Although there was no clear consensus regarding the influence of different flap designs for third mandibular molar extraction on postoperative clinical morbidities; the surgeon's experience, estimated surgical difficulty, molar position and orientation, and surg ery duration should be considered when choosing among the different flap designs.

Patient satisfaction and survival of maxillary overdentures supported by four or six splinted implants: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Implant-supported overdentures offer enhanced mechanical properties, which lead to better patient satisfaction and survival rates than conventional dentures. However, it is unclear whether these satisfaction levels and survival rates depend on the number of implants supporting the overdenture. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to compare maxillary overdentures supported by four or six splinted implants in terms of patient satisfaction, implant survival, overdenture survival, and prosthodontic complications. METHODS: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (PubMed), and EMBASE databases were systematically searched and complemented by hand searching from 2000 to 2019, employing a combination of specific keywords. Studies comparing the use of four versus six implants for supporting overdentures with at least one-year of follow-up after prosthesis installation and including ten fully edentulous patients were included. The risk of bias (RoB) was analyzed with Cochrane's RoB 2 and Newcastle-Ottawa tools. Implants and prosthesis survival rates were analyzed by random-effects meta-analysis and expressed as risk ratios or risk differences, respectively, and by the non-parametric unpaired Fisher's test. RESULTS: A total of 15 from 1865 articles were included, and reported follow-up times after implant placement ranged from 1 to 10 years. Irrespective of the number of implants used, high scores were reported by all studies investigating patient satisfaction. Meta-analysis and non-parametric Fisher's test showed no statistical differences regarding the survival rate of implants (P = 0.34, P = 0.3) or overdentures (P = 0.74, P = 0.9) when using 4 versus 6 splinted implants to support overdentures, and no significant differences regarding prosthodontic complications were found between groups. Randomized studies presented high RoB and non-randomized studies presented acceptable quality. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of this systematic review, we can conclude that the bar-supported overdenture on four implants is not inferior to the overdenture supported by six implants for rehabilitating the edentulous maxilla, in terms of patient satisfaction, survival rates of implants and overdentures, and prosthodontic complications.

Nearly Exact Discrepancy Principle for Low-Count Poisson Image Restoration.

The effectiveness of variational methods for restoring images corrupted by Poisson noise strongly depends on the suitable selection of the regularization parameter balancing the effect of the regulation term(s) and the generalized Kullback-Liebler divergence data term. One of the approaches still commonly used today for choosing the parameter is the discrepancy principle proposed by Zanella et al. in a seminal work. It relies on imposing a value of the data term approximately equal to its expected value and works well for mid- and high-count Poisson noise corruptions. However, the series truncation approximation used in the theoretical derivation of the expected value leads to poor performance for low-count Poisson noise. In this paper, we highlight the theoretical limits of the approach and then propose a nearly exact version of it based on Monte Carlo simulation and weighted least-square fitting. Several numerical experiments are presented, proving beyond doubt that in the low-count Poisson regime, the proposed modified, nearly exact discrepancy principle performs far better than the original, approximated one by Zanella et al., whereas it works similarly or slightly better in the mid- and high-count regimes.

The influence of flap design on patients' experiencing pain, swelling, and trismus after mandibular third molar surgery: a scoping systematic review

Abstract Third molar removal surgery usually comes accompanied by postoperative discomfort, which could be influenced by the surgical approach chosen. This scoping systematic review aimed at compiling the available evidence focused on the influence of flap design, including envelope flap (EF), triangular flap (TF), and modified triangular flap (MTF), on postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus, as primary outcome measures, and any result mentioning healing promotion or delay, as secondary outcome measure, after mandibular third molar extraction surgery. An electronic search, complemented by a manual search, of articles published from 1999 to 2020 was conducted in the Medline (PubMed), EMBASE and Web of Science databases including human randomized controlled trials, prospective, and retrospective studies with at least 15 patients. The risk of bias of the included studies was assessed either with the Cochrane's Risk of Bias tool or with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Every step of the review was performed independently and in duplicate. The initial electronic search recovered 2102 articles. After applying the inclusion criteria, 12 articles were included. For patient's perceived postoperative pain, TF and MTF frequently reported better results than EF. For swelling, the literature is divided, despite a trend favoring EF. For trismus, data showed that its occurrence is mostly associated with the duration of the surgery rather than with the chosen flap. For healing, the limited data is inconclusive. Finally, randomized studies showed a high risk of bias, whereas nonrandomized studies were mostly of good quality and low risk of bias. Although there was no clear consensus regarding the influence of different flap designs for third mandibular molar extraction on postoperative clinical morbidities; the surgeon's experience, estimated surgical difficulty, molar position and orientation, and surg ery duration should be considered when choosing among the different flap designs.

Custom abutments on tilted implants in the maxilla: A clinical report.

The aim of this work is to describe a case of severe disparallelism between two implants supporting a cement-retained bridge, placed in the maxilla, employing two custom-angled abutments. Fractured abutment screw and fractured abutment involved two implant restorations in the maxilla. Once prosthetic components have been removed, a new prosthetic rehabilitation has been planned. The divergence between the implants was measured, obtaining an angle of divergence of 39°. Then, two custom-angled titanium abutments and two metal-ceramic splinted crowns were realized.

Forecasting COVID-19-Associated Hospitalizations under Different Levels of Social Distancing in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy: Results from an Extended SEIR Compartmental Model.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. As of 17 April 2020, more than 2 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide. Northern Italy is one of the world's centers of active coronavirus cases. In this study, we predicted the spread of COVID-19 and its burden on hospital care under different conditions of social distancing in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, the two regions of Italy most affected by the epidemic. To do this, we used a Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) deterministic model, which encompasses compartments relevant to public health interventions such as quarantine. A new compartment L was added to the model for isolated infected population, i.e., individuals tested positives that do not need hospital care. We found that in Lombardy restrictive containment measures should be prolonged at least until early July to avoid a resurgence of hospitalizations; on the other hand, in Emilia-Romagna the number of hospitalized cases could be kept under a reasonable amount with a higher contact rate. Our results suggest that territory-specific forecasts under different scenarios are crucial to enhance or take new containment measures during the epidemic.

Splinting vs Not Splinting Four Implants Supporting a Maxillary Overdenture: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of splinted vs unsplinted designs for a maxillary overdenture supported by four implants in terms of the outcome measures implant survival, overdenture longevity, and patient satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic search, complemented by a handsearch, was carried out in the Embase, MEDLINE (PubMed), and Web of Science databases from 2000 to 2018. The PRISMA statement and a PICO approach were adopted. Free-text words were used in the strategy search, including "4-implant-retained overdenture," "4-implant-supported overdenture," "implant-supported overdenture," "implant-retained overdenture," "maxillary overdenture," "splinted design," "un-splinted design," and their combinations. All selected articles provided at least a 1-year follow-up, 10 fully edentulous patients, and at least one of the following clinical outcomes: survival rate of implants, survival rate of overdentures, and/or patient satisfaction scores. Nonparametric Fisher test for unpaired data was adopted in order to analyze data deriving from the survival rates of implants and overdentures. RESULTS: The initial electronic search produced a total of 2,922 articles. After applying the inclusion criteria, 14 articles were included. The mean follow-up time after implant placement ranged from 1 to 10 years. No statistical difference was detected in the survival rate of implants between the splinted implant group and the unsplinted implant group (P = .1). Only 4 included studies reported an overdenture survival rate of lower than 95%. It is interesting to note that among these 4 studies, 3 employed four splinted implants with a bar anchorage; however, no statistical difference was detected in the survival rate of overdentures between the splinted and unsplinted groups (P = .47). High scores were reported by all studies investigating patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Within the limits of this systematic review, it can be concluded that the survival rates of implants and overdentures and patient satisfaction with a maxillary overdenture supported by four implants were not influenced by the overdenture design, and no statistical difference was detected between the splinted and unsplinted groups.

The number of implants required to support a maxillary overdenture: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The number of implants needed to support a maxillary overdenture is still a controversial issue. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the number of implants required to support a maxillary overdenture in order to obtain optimal treatment outcomes in terms of implant survival, overdenture longevity and patient satisfaction. STUDY SELECTION: Pubmed and EMBASE databes were systematically searched and complemented by hand searching from 2000 to 2017. The Prisma statement and a PICOS approach were adopted. All selected articles provided at least two-year follow-up and 10 totally edentulous patients. Survival rate of implants and overdentures were statistically analyzed according to number of implants and according to splitting technique, employing non-parametric Fisher Test for unpaired data. For the pooled analysis of implant failures, the odds ratio between group of 4 splinted implants and group of more than 4 splinted was calculated. RESULTS: A total of 28 articles were included. Data analysis of the included studies showed that the survival rate of implants appeared higher in ≥ 4 implants group, whereas the high survival rate of overdentures and patient satisfaction were not significantly influenced by the number of implants. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our analysis indicate that overall the most frequent tendency is to place at least four implants, splinted or unsplinted, in order to ensure a higher survival rate of implants. However, the relationship between overdenture survival, the patient's quality of life, and the number of implants required to support a maxillary overdenture has yet to be clarified.

Analysis and management of implant-prosthetic complications: Description of a diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm with a clinical case.

PATIENT: A 65-year-old non-smoker man with stabilized chronic periodontitis and in good general health conditions presented to our observation. The patient reported crown mobility, gingival inflammation and localized pain, corresponding to the mandibular right first molar rehabilitated with a cement-retained implant crown. This clinical situation suspected a fracture of an implant-prosthetic component. Through the described diagnostic algorithm, an abutment hexagon fracture was revealed. Thus, a minimally invasive treatment was carried out in order to use the residual implant-prosthetic components for a new implant-prosthetic rehabilitation. DISCUSSION: Fractures of implant-prosthetic components are clinical occurrences that may result in irreversible failures. The main causes of a possible fracture are dependent on biomechanical considerations and production processes of implant-prosthetic components. The respect of the rigorous planning and the employment of the implant-prosthetic devices of the same manufacturer are recommended. CONCLUSIONS: Specific employments and protocols have to be offered in order to manage the fractures of implant-prosthetic components. This work showed that through the described diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm, the clinician can be guided towards a proper diagnosis and a correct management of the cases where a fracture of implant-prosthetic components may occur.

Multidisciplinary Approach in the Management of a Complex Case: Implant-Prosthetic Rehabilitation of a Periodontal Smoking Patient with Partial Edentulism, Malocclusion, and Aesthetic Diseases.

Complex periprosthetic cases are considered as challenges by clinicians. Clinical and radiographic parameters should be considered separately to make the right choice between an endodontically or periodontally compromised treated tooth and implant. Therefore, in order to decide whether the tooth is safe or not, data that have to be collected are specific parameters of both the patient and the clinician. In addition, the presence of periodontal, prosthetic, and orthodontic diseases requires patients to be set in multidisciplinary approach. The aim of this case report is to describe how the multidisciplinary approach could be the best way to manage difficult cases of implant-prosthetic rehabilitation. How to rehabilitate with fixed prosthesis on natural teeth and dental implants a smoker patient who presents with active periodontitis, multiple edentulous areas, dental malocclusion, and severe aesthetic problems was also described.

Clinical Application of the PES/WES Index on Natural Teeth: Case Report and Literature Review.

The use of reliable indices to evaluate the aesthetic outcomes in the aesthetic area is an important and objective clinical aid to monitor the results over time. According to the literature various indices were proposed to evaluate aesthetic outcomes of implant-prosthetic rehabilitation of the anterior area like Peri-Implant and Crown Index [PICI], Implant Crown Aesthetic Index [ICAI], Pink Esthetic Score/White Esthetic Score [PES/WES], and Pink Esthetic Score [PES] but none of them was related to prosthetic rehabilitation on natural teeth. The aim of this study is to verify the validity of PES/WES index for natural tooth-prosthetic rehabilitation of the anterior area. As secondary objective, we proposed to evaluate the long-term predictability of this clinical application, one of which is presented below, following the analysis of the most currently accepted literature.

Effectiveness on oral pain of 808-nm diode laser used prior to composite restoration for symptomatic non-carious cervical lesions unresponsive to desensitizing agents.

This study compares sensitivity reduction after dental restoration with and without prior diode laser (DL) irradiation for cervical dentine hypersensitivity (CDH) from non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) unresponsive to desensitizing agents. Eighty-eight teeth of 28 subjects (21 females; age 23-64 years), with CDH from NCCL were included in this study. NCCLs of each oral quadrant were randomized in two groups (study group (SG)) to estimate the sensitivity reduction after dental restoration (SG-1) compared with the DL irradiation used prior to restoration placement (SG-2). The subjects were asked to rate the sensitivity experienced during air stimulation using a visual analog scale before (baseline), immediately after, and at 6 and 12 months from restoration. The outcomes showed a significant reduction of discomfort compared to baseline for NCCLs of SG-2 with the decrease of 78.5, 78.9, and 78.1 % immediately and at 6 and 12 months after restoration, respectively; in comparison with the decrease of 70.1, 67, and 65.3 % for NCCLs of SG-1 immediately and at 6 and 12 months after restoration, respectively; and compared to baseline. The DL irradiation prior to dental restoration can further improve the painful symptomatology of CDH from NCCL unresponsive to desensitizing agents.

Intraocular pressure evaluation in healthy eyes and diseased ones using contact and non contact devices.

PURPOSE: To analyze and compare intraocular pressure (IOP) values measured in healthy subjects (HS), keratoconus (KC) patients and patients that underwent myopic photorefractive keratectomy (REF), using Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT), dynamic contour tonometry (DCT), ocular response analyzer (ORA) and Corvis ST (CST). METHODS: The study included 76 eyes of 76HS, 15 eyes of 15 KC patients and 18 eyes of 18 subjects that underwent REF. Each participant underwent a complete ophthalmic evaluation, IOP measurement with GAT, DCT, ORA and CST. RESULTS: HS showed a mean GAT value of 15.62±2.33 mm Hg, a mean DCT value of 17.44±2.51 mm Hg, a mean ORA value of 15.99±3.58 mm Hg and a mean CST value of 17.24±3.44 mm Hg. KC showed a mean GAT value of 15.07±1.83 mm Hg, a mean DCT value of 17.01±1.96 mm Hg, a mean ORA value of 13.58±2.99 mm Hg and a mean CST value of 14.37±1.89 mm Hg. REF showed a mean GAT value of 14.06±1.51 mm Hg, a mean DCT value of 15.12±2.34 mm Hg, a mean ORA value of 16.85±2.4 mm Hg and a mean CST value of 15.57±1.77 mm Hg. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that ORA and GAT could be used interchangeably in HS; GAT, ORA and CST could be used interchangeably in KC patients and that GAT provides lower IOP values compared to the other devices in eyes previously submitted to myopic PRK.

Class I restoration margin quality in direct resin composites: A double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the margin quality of direct resin composite restorations comparing the enamel-dentin adhesive standard procedure with additional use of adhesive layer at the external outline. METHODS: A total of 648 teeth with Class I occlusal lesions in molars and premolars were randomly selected and distributed into two groups of 324 each in order to compare the margin quality with two restoration strategies. Lesions were sealed with the standard adhesion procedure for direct resin composite restorations (Group 1) and with an additional procedure of enamel adhesive on the outer boundary of the finished restoration (Group 2). Evaluation of marginal quality at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months was performed and described as good marginal adaption or as poor quality defined as Inadequacy A (IA): overhanging resin or change of color; Inadequacy B (IB): the presence of a gap at the enamel-composite interface that retained the probe tip; or Inadequacy C (IC) presence of gap at the enamel-composite interface with explorer tip penetration of more than 1 mm. RESULTS: Data showed a higher number of Inadequacy A for restorations with the additional technique for marginal seal (Group 2): 16 of 24 total (57%) at 6 months; 28 of 37 total (76%) at 12 months; 36 of 44 total (82%) at 18 months; 22 of 33 total (67%) at 24 months; 14 of 21 total (70%) at 36 months and 16 of 25 total (64%) at 48 months. The Inadequacy B and C of marginal seal were more prevalent for restorations without the additional marginal seal (Group 1): 18 of 28 total (64%) at 12 months with inadequacy B; 19 of 25 total (76%) with inadequacy B and 16 total (100%) with inadequacy C at 18 months; 9 of 17 total (53%) with Inadequacy B and 13 total (100%) with Inadequacy C at 24 months; 12 of 17 total (70%) with Inadequacy B and 9 of 13 total (73%) with Inadequacy C at 36 months; 14 of 24 total (58%) with Inadequacy B and 7 of 11 total (63%) with Inadequacy C at 48 months.

Central corneal thickness evaluation in healthy eyes with three different optical devices.

PURPOSE: To compare corneal pachymetry values measured by three different optical devices: Orbscan II, Pentacam HR and Sirius in healthy eyes. METHODS: The central corneal thickness (CCT) of 102 eyes of 102 healthy subjects (mean age of 33.09 ± 8.72 years and mean refractive defect -4.11 ± 4.74 D) was measured by three different physicians using Orbscan II, Pentacam HR and Sirius. The normality of the distribution was evaluated by with Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The correlations between CCT obtained from each device and refractive defect and age were evaluated using the Pearson test. The differences were evaluated by the Student paired t-test using SPSS 18.0 (IBM Corp. Armonk, New York). RESULTS: Orbscan II provided significant (p < 0.0001) lower CCT measurements then both Pentacam HR (-13.66 ± 16.53 µm) and Sirius (-15.18 ± 17.16 µm); Sirius showed values slightly higher than Oculus Pentacam HR (+1.52 ± 6.21 µm) that appeared to be statistically significant (p < 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of CCT by Sirius and Pentacam HR provides similar results. By contrast, the results obtained by Orbscan II are different from those obtained from both Sirius and Pentacam HR.

Immediate, early, and conventional implant placement in a patient with history of periodontitis.

The aim of this paper is to describe a case of implant-prosthetic rehabilitation in a patient with periodontitis, focusing on the different timing of implant placement. After initial periodontal treatment, teeth with advanced mobility degree and severe bone resorption were extracted. At different healing time oral implants were placed in a prosthetic-guided position. After osseointegration period the implants were loaded and the results at one year of follow-up are presented.