Preload Evaluation of Different Screws in External Hexagon Joint

Purpose: This study compared the maintenance of tightening torque in different retention screw types of implant-supported crowns. Materials and Methods: Twelve metallic crowns in UCLA abutments cast with cobalt-chromium alloy were attached to external hexagon osseointegrated implants with different retention screws: group A: titanium alloy retention screw; group B: gold alloy retention screw with gold coating; group C: titanium alloy retention screw with diamond-like carbon film coating; and group D: titanium alloy retention screw with aluminum titanium nitride coating. Three detorque measurements were obtained after torque insertion in each replica. Data were evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's test (P < 0.05), and t test (P < 0.05). Results: Detorque value reduced in all groups (P < 0.05). Group A retained the highest percentage of torque in comparison with the other groups (P < 0.05). Groups B and D retained the lowest percentage of torque without statistically significant difference between them (P < 0.05). Conclusions: All screw types exhibited reduction in the detorque value. The titanium screw maintained the highest percentage of torque whereas the gold-coated screw and the titanium screw with aluminum titanium nitride coating retained the lowest percentage. (Implant Dent 2012;21:46-50)

Prosthetic misfit of implant-supported prosthesis obtained by an alternative section method

PURPOSE. Adequate passive-fitting of one-piece cast 3-element implant-supported frameworks is hard to achieve. This short communication aims to present an alternative method for section of one-piece cast frameworks and for casting implant-supported frameworks. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Three-unit implant-supported nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr) frameworks were tested for vertical misfit (n = 6). The frameworks were cast as one-piece (Group A) and later transversally sectioned through a diagonal axis (Group B) and compared to frameworks that were cast diagonally separated (Group C). All separated frameworks were laser welded. Only one side of the frameworks was screwed. RESULTS. The results on the tightened side were significantly lower in Group C (6.43 +/- 3.24 mu m) when compared to Groups A (16.50 +/- 7.55 mu m) and B (16.27 +/- 1.71 mu m) (P<.05). On the opposite side, the diagonal section of the one-piece castings for laser welding showed significant improvement in the levels of misfit of the frameworks (Group A, 58.66 +/- 14.30 mu m; Group B, 39.4.8 +/- 12.03 mu m; Group C, 23.13 +/- 8.24 mu m) (P<.05). CONCLUSION. Casting diagonally sectioned frameworks lowers the misfit levels. Lower misfit levels for the frameworks can be achieved by diagonally sectioning one-piece frameworks. [J Adv Prosthodont 2012;4:89-92]

Nanogravimetric study of lead underpotential deposition on selenium thin films as a semiconductor alloy formation procedure

An electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance Au electrode modified with a Se thin film was used to investigate the electrochemical behavior of lead ad-atoms using underpotential deposition (UPD) conditions. A specific quasi-reversible process was observed during the reduction of Pb2+ on Se thin films in perchloric acid media. The charge density of Pb ad-atoms on Se thin film (46.86 mu C cm(-2)) suggests a recovery of 0.1 monolayers, which is in good agreement with EQCM data. The Se thin film can be successfully alloyed with Pb atoms that are deposited by chronoamperometry using time intervals large enough to allow for diffusion toward the inner Se phase. Linear sweep voltammetry combined with EQCM in perchloric acid was used to characterize the amount of Pb absorbed in the Se thin film. These findings offer a new strategy for alloy formation in semiconductor films using UPD as an effective tool to quantify the exact amount of the incorporated metal.