Long-Term Success of All-Ceramic Dental Implants Compared with Titanium Implants.

All-ceramic dental implants have been identified as a potential alternative to the traditional titanium-based implant systems used in dentistry to satisfy the demands for esthetic metal-free treatment of edentulous jaws. Among the all-ceramic implants introduced in dentistry, zirconia implants have emerged as the forerunner. The success of zirconia as an implant material has paralleled that of titanium in the short-term, however, few clinical studies assess success in the long-term. Failures of zirconia dental implants have been linked to improper operator techniques, manufacturing defects, and unfavorable loading, thereby necessitating optimal quality control measures by manufacturers and proper treatment planning by an experienced operator to reinforce the favorable properties of zirconia as an implant biomaterial. In this comprehensive review, the various implant-related, tissue-related, prosthesis-related, and patient-related factors affecting the success of zirconia implants have been discussed and compared with those of the titanium implant.

Temporomandibular Total Joint Replacement Implant Devices: A Systematic Review of Their Outcomes.

Functional impairment affecting the quality of life results when a wide range of both muscular and joint pathologies affect the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). There are several total temporomandibular joint prosthesis systems available for total joint replacement (TJR). This systematic review provides an overview of the different TJR systems available and discusses their outcomes and efficiency. A systematic review on the outcomes of TJR was performed in October 2020. The five databases searched are PubMed, Europe PMC, Elsevier, SpringerLink, and British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Outcome measurements were changes in maximal mouth opening (MMO), pain, diet, and functional limitation preoperatively and postoperatively. Seventeen follow-up studies were included in this systematic review, with 1,343 patients. All TMJ implant devices showed significant improvement after placement in all outcomes (pain, diet, MMO). All TJR prostheses showed great improvement comparing preoperative and postoperative outcomes. There was no significant difference between devices when comparing their outcomes.