A Microscopy Evaluation of Emergence Profile Surfaces of Dental Custom CAD-CAM Implant Abutments and Dental Implant Stock Abutments.

Recently, due to the high demand for dental implants, the use of dental implant stock abutments has increased significantly, especially dental custom CAD/CAM implant abutments milled by dental technicians in their laboratories. The purpose of this study is to analyze the surface quality of the emergence profile of dental custom CAD/CAM implant abutments made by a non-industrial milling machine, compared to original and compatible dental implant stock abutments made by industrial machines. Thirty dental implant abutments were divided into six study lots. Lot 1 (control group): original dental implant stock abutments-industrial machined; lot 2 (study group): compatible dental implant stock abutments-industrial machined; lots 3, 4, 5, and 6 (study groups): compatible custom CAD/CAM dental implant abutments-non-industrial milled with hyperDENT CAM software and Paragon Tools. The Nikon SMZ745T stereomicroscope was used to analyze the emergence profile surface of each dental implant abutment. The structure of the analyzed surfaces did not show significant differences between original and compatible abutments that were industrially machined. As for the customized dental implant abutments, the greatest similarity with the original was obtained for lot 6, and a significant statistical difference was obtained for lot 4. Stepover and Feed Rate parameters of the milling process influenced the surface roughness of the emergence profile for the customized dental implant abutments. The digital technology of non-industrial milling compatible custom CAD/CAM dental implant abutments is reliable and within the correct milling parameters.

Current Endodontic Practices among Romanian Dental Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Root canal therapy (RCT) is usually performed in Romania by general dentists (GDPs) because they are more readily available and more reasonably priced than endodontists. Concerns have been raised about the quality of RCTs performed by GDPs, possibly due to insufficient equipment or knowledge; therefore, this study aims to investigate current endodontic practices in Romania. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted via a questionnaire distributed to 400 randomly selected Romanian dentists, with 285 fully validated completed responses (71.25% response rate). Respondents were grouped by speciality, and statistical analysis, including cross-tabulation and the χ2 (chi-square) test, was used, with a significance level set at p ≤ 0.05 for all tests. Results: Significant differences were found in the use of magnification, rubber dam, sodium hypochlorite concentration, and bioceramics (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in preferences for measuring working length (p = 0.166) or rotary instrument motion (p = 0.289). Approximately 6% of the respondents used laser technology with no significant difference across specialities (p = 0.571). Additionally, 77.9% preferred using sodium hypochlorite, with no significant difference between groups (p = 0.006) regarding concentration. Conclusions: Most participants, including GDPs, use modern equipment and techniques during RCT, indicating their awareness and competence in current endodontic practices.

Comparative Study of Dental Custom CAD-CAM Implant Abutments and Dental Implant Stock Abutments.

The implementation of CAD-CAM systems in dentistry has significantly influenced the evolution of dental implantology and implant-supported prosthetics within the past three decades. Implant-supported prostheses are comfortable and aesthetic. The prosthetic abutment has also faced a rapid design evolution, from the individualization of standard stock abutments offered by various manufacturers to a modern customization process using CAD-CAM technology. This paper presents a comparative study between 20 dental custom CAD-CAM implant abutments and 20 dental implant stock abutments, based on a set of measurements performed on the digital casts obtained from 24 cases of prosthetic rehabilitation on implants. The statistical analysis (Mann-Whitney U test) revealed significant differences between these two types of abutments: the incisal margin line diameter dimensions for custom abutments were significantly improved compared to standard abutments at the cervical level (U = 343.00, z = 3.868, p < 0.0005) and the incisal/occlusal level (U = 352.00, z = 4.112, p < 0.0005), while the inclination angle of the custom abutments relative to the 0-axis was significantly smaller than that of standard abutments (U = 115.50, z = -2.286, p = 0.022). The use of custom abutments leads to an increase in the final size of the abutment, an improvement in the retention of the prosthetic work, and reduces the angulation of the abutment in relation to the implant axis, thus decreasing the risk of unscrewing or fracturing the dental screw.

Etiology Study of Acquired Developmental Defects of Enamel and Their Association with Dental Caries in Children between 3 and 19 Years Old from Dolj County, Romania.

Background: Developmental defects of enamel (DDE) are frequently encountered in primary and permanent teeth, yet their etiology is not completely known. Enamel hypoplasia is considered a predisposing factor for early caries. The objective of this study was the evaluation of several risk factors potentially causing DDE and the possible association between DDE and dental caries. Methods: This study was performed on a group of 213 rural children from Romania. It combined a thorough dental examination for all children, and a questionnaire filled in by their mothers, regarding the evolution of their pregnancy and the child's health status in the first years of life. Results: There was no statistically significant association between DDE presence and data regarding the evolution of pregnancy, mothers' health status or children's conditions during early childhood. There was a significant association between the use of amoxicillin, ibuprofen, and cephalosporin during the period of formation of permanent teeth, and one environmental factor (water source), and the presence of DDE (Chi Square, p < 0.05). Also, DDEs were associated with the presence of caries (Fisher, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Children who consumed water from private wells and children who received medication during early childhood developed more enamel defects, presenting a higher risk of caries development.

Optical coherence tomography applications in tooth wear diagnosis.

Dental wear represents an irreversible loss of dental hard tissue under the action of physical, chemical and mechanical factors, excluding dental caries and acute trauma. Four clinical forms of dental wear are described: erosion, attrition, abfraction, and abrasion. Most experts agree that in each clinical form multiple etiological factors are involved, one being predominant. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive optical method characterized by a micronic resolution. The applications of this type of investigation are multiple in the medical field in recent years, and OCT is gaining a growing importance in dentistry. The study pointed out through OCT imaging for the erosive tooth wear lesion the existence of chemical aggression, with strong demineralization of enamel and dentin. For attrition lesion, OCT images showed the contribution of excessive force and friction movements specific to bruxism. In abfraction, OCT image revealed the importance of the mechanic factor in producing this form of tooth wear and abrasion damage studied may be considered physiological, according to patient age. OCT examination may reveal existing lesions in hard dental tissues for each clinical form and could bring evidence on the mechanisms involved.

Immunohistochemical aspects of apoptosis in gingival mucosa with papilloma and condyloma acuminata.

The oral mucosa is a component of the oral ecosystem, which can be aggressed by corrosion products released from the dental alloys used in prosthetic dentistry therapy. The purpose of this study was to compare the in vivo effect of nickel and copper compounds on the oral mucosa cells, including their ability to induce cell death, by analyzing the cytochrome c (cyt. c) immunohistochemical expression. Gingival mucosa fragments obtained from the subjects with dentures manufactured by nickel or copper casting alloys were processed through the histological technique of paraffin inclusion. The sections obtained were stained by usually histological methods in order to highlight the histopathological lesions and also analyzed using the immunohistochemical technique in order to study the cyt. c expression. The papillomatosis lesions were observed in the gingival mucosa fragments obtained from the subjects with nickel-based alloy dentures and the condyloma acuminata lesions were observed in those obtained from the subjects with copper-based alloy dentures. The cyt. c immunohistochemical expression was different in the epithelial layer of two types of mucosal fragments but it was the same in their lamina propria connective tissue. We can conclude that the two types of metal alloys have different effects on the adjacent gingival mucosa.