Does Mandibular Gonial Angle Predict Difficulty of Mandibular Third Molar Removal?

PURPOSE: Predicting the difficulty of impacted mandibular third molar (IM3M) removal remains a controversial issue because many variables have been associated with increased operation time. Thus, the main objective of this study was to assess the influence of the gonial angle on the surgical difficulty of IM3M extraction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study of patients requiring IM3M removal was conducted. The gonial angle measured with a goniometer was considered the primary predictor variable. The primary outcome variable was operation time. Difficulty also was recorded by surgeons using a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS). Postoperative complications (pain, swelling, and trismus at 48 hours and 7 days) were registered as secondary outcome variables. A descriptive bivariate statistical analysis, Pearson correlations and scatter plots, and an explanatory multiple linear regression model were performed. Significance was set at P < .05. RESULTS: The sample comprised 60 participants (17 men and 43 women) with a mean age of 25.2 years (standard deviation, 7.1 years). No significant correlations were found between the gonial angle and operation time, VAS difficulty score, and postoperative complications. Regression analysis confirmed this lack of effect of the gonial angle. The operation time was significantly affected by surgical experience (P = .016) and patient age (P = .009), whereas the 100-mm VAS difficulty score was only related to surgical experience (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: The gonial angle is not related to the surgical difficulty of IM3M removal. Moreover, this variable is not associated with the occurrence of postoperative complications. According to the findings in this cohort, surgical experience and patient age are the only variables significantly related to increased operation time.

Postoperative infections after dental implant placement: Variables associated with increased risk of failure.

BACKGROUND: Wound infections after dental implant placement are a rare finding that might lead to early implant failure. However, the available information on this topic is scarce. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted to determine factors that may increase the failure rate of dental implants that presented a postoperative infection during the osseointegration period. Postoperative infections were defined as the presence of pus or fistula in the surgical area, with pain or tenderness, swelling, redness, and heat or fever, before prosthetic loading. A bivariate and multivariate analysis of the data using Cox proportional-hazards regression was performed to detect prognostic factors for implant failure in patients that suffer infections. RESULTS: The patient-based prevalence of postoperative infections after implant placement was 2.80% (95% confidence interval (95%CI): 2.04% to 3.83%). Thirty-three out of 37 (89.19%) patients with infections had to be surgically retreated because of antibiotic failure and 65% of the infected implants were removed. The bivariate analysis showed a significant association between implant failure and the collar surface (HR: 3.12; 95% CI: 1.16 to 8.41; P = 0.014). Cox proportional-hazards regression indicated that rough-surfaced collars increased 2.35 times the likelihood of failure (95% CI: 0.87 to 6.37; P = 0.071). CONCLUSIONS: The survival of implants placed in the maxilla, with smooth collar, and late-onset of infection was higher than those placed in the mandible, with a rough collar and early onset of infection. In general, signs of infection after dental implant placement compromises the survival rate of the affected fixtures.

Does 3-dimensional imaging of the third molar reduce the risk of experiencing inferior alveolar nerve injury owing to extraction?: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians generally use panoramic radiographic (PR) images to assess the proximity of the mandibular third molar to the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN). However, in cases in which a patient needs to undergo a third-molar extraction, many clinicians also assess computed tomographic (CT) images to prevent nerve damage. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: Two of the authors independently searched MEDLINE (through PubMed), Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Ovid. The authors included randomized or nonrandomized longitudinal studies whose investigators had compared the number of IAN injuries after third-molar extraction in patients who had undergone preoperative CT with patients who had undergone only PR. RESULTS: The authors analyzed the full text of 26 of the 745 articles they initially selected. They included 6 studies in the meta-analysis. Four of the studies had a high risk of bias, and the investigators of only 1 study had used blinding with the patients. The authors observed no statistically significant differences between groups related to the total number of nerve injuries (risk ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.50 to 1.85; P = .91). The prognosis of the injuries was similar for both groups. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Although having preoperative CT images might be useful for clinicians in terms of diagnosing and extracting mandibular third molars, having these CT images does not reduce patients' risk of experiencing IAN injuries nor does it affect their prognosis.

Haemostatic agents in apical surgery. A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Blood presence in apical surgery can prevent the correct vision of the surgical field, change the physical properties of filling materials and reduce their sealing ability. OBJECTIVES: To describe which are the most effective and safest haemostatic agents to control bleeding in patients undergoing apical surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out a systematic review, using Medline and Cochrane Library databases, of human clinical studies published in the last 10 years. RESULTS: The agents that proved more effective in bleeding control were calcium sulphate (100%) and collagen plus epinephrine (92.9%) followed by ferric sulphate (60%), gauze packing (30%) and collagen (16.7%). When using aluminium chloride (Expasyl(R)), over 90% of the apical lesions improved, but this agent seemed to increase swelling. Epinephrine with collagen did not significantly raise either blood pressure or heart rate. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the use of several haemostatic materials in apical surgery, there is little evidence on their effectiveness and safety. The most effective haemostatic agents were calcium sulphate and epinephrine plus collagen. Epinephrine plus collagen did not seem to significantly raise blood pressure or heart rate during surgery. Aluminium chloride did not increase postoperative pain but could slightly increase postoperative swelling. Randomized clinical trials are needed to assess the haemostatic effectiveness and adverse effects of haemostatic materials in apical surgery