Effect of recasting procedure upon corrosion behavior and metallic ion release of Co-Cr-Mo dental alloy in physiological

Recasting process influence upon corrosion behavior of Co-Cr-Mo dental alloy in simulated physiological serum has been investigated using chemical and electrochemical techniques. Recast Co-Cr-Mo alloy by induction (IND) or by blowtorch (FLAME) has exhibited similar dendritic structures. Both IND and FLAME alloys have presented good corrosion resistance in physiological serum. Passivation process provides this corrosion resistance. Codissolution makes this process difficult. Passive films, formed on these alloys, have been analyzed as a dual layer consisting of an inner barrier and an outer porous layer. Passive film protective characteristics are higher in FLAME than in IND alloy. On this last alloy, the passive film is more porous due to a higher Codissolution. ©Carl Hanser Verlag, München.

Influence of Estrogen Deficiency on Bone Around Osseointegrated Dental Implants: An Experimental Study in the Rat Jaw Model

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Optimizing maxillary aesthetics of a severe compromised tooth through orthodontic movement and dental implants

Treatment of severe compromised tooth in the maxillary anterior area still poses great challenge to the clinicians. Several treatment modalities have been proposed to restore the function and aesthetics in teeth with advanced periodontal disease. The present study aims to report a case of traumatic injury of a left-maxillary central incisor with ridge preservation, orthodontic movement, and implant therapy. A 45-year-old woman underwent the proposed treatment for her left central incisor: basic periodontal therapy, xenogenous bone graft, and guided bone regeneration (GBR). Six months after the graft procedure, orthodontic movement by means of alignment and leveling was made and a coronal displacement of the gingival margin and vertical bone apposition could be observed after 13 months of active movement. Afterwards, a dental implant was placed followed by a connective tissue graft and immediate provisionalization of the crown. In conclusion, orthodontic movement was effective to improve the gingival tissue and alveolar bone prior to implant placement favoring the aesthetic results. Six years postoperatively, the results revealed height and width alveolar bone gain indicating that the treatment proposed was able to restore all the functional and aesthetic parameters.

Histomorphometric analysis of pure titanium implants with porous surface versus rough surface

The purpose of this study was to analyze the bone repair around commercially pure titanium implants with rough and porous surface, fabricated using powder metallurgy technique, after their insertion in tibiae of rabbits. Seven male rabbits were used. Each animal received 3 porous-surface implants in the left tibia and 3 rough-surface implants in the right tibia. The rabbits were sacrificed 4 weeks after surgery and fragments of the tibiae containing the implants were submitted to histological and histomorphometric analyses to evaluate new bone formation at the implant-bone interface. Means (%) of bone neoformation obtained in the histomorphometric analysis were compared by Student's t-test for paired samples at 5% significance level.. The results of the histological analysis showed that osseointegration occurred for both types of implants with similar quality of bone tissue. The histomorphometric analysis revealed means of new bone formation at implant-bone interface of 79.69 ± 1.00% and 65.05 ± 1.23% for the porous- and rough-surface implants, respectively. Statistically significant difference was observed between the two types of implants with respect to the amount new bone formation (p<0.05). In conclusion, the porous-surface implants contributed to the osseointegration because they provide a larger contact area at implant-bone interface.

Analysis of the peri-implant soft tissues in contact with zirconia abutments: an evidence-based literature review

The aim of this study is to evaluate through a literature review, the soft tissue response in contact with zirconia abutments, including case reports comparing prosthetics rehabilitations with zirconia and titanium abutments upto 3 years of follow-up as well as the factors that should be considered on implant's abutment selection. Metallic abutments can provide grayish color when in contact with thin soft tissues which may lead the implant prosthetic treatment to failure. In this context, the abutments of zirconia stand out because there is an excellent linking between esthetics and the health of peri-implant soft tissues. A consult of the published researches was made on the PubMed database from 2000 to September 2012. The including criteria were: literature reviews, clinical studies and case reports in English that focused on the response of the soft tissue in contact with zirconia implant abutments. The studies that were not in English and did not match the tackled issue were excluded. A total of 32 articles were found. According to the search strategy, just 16 articles were selected for this review. Three studies affirmed that zirconia abutments have an excellent soft tissue response; one study showed increased gingival recession with zirconia abutments and nine studies do not stand out any difference on biological behavior between titanium and zirconia abutments. Three studies affirmed that zirconia abutments provide natural gingival appearance, anatomic contour and greater esthetics. The use of zirconia abutments is recommended for anterior regions because of their greater optical properties and esthetic results and more studies should be performed and analyzed longitudinally regarding their biological response. The zirconia abutments have been established to be essential in order to achieve great esthetic results in cases of thin peri-implant soft tissues and in regions where the three-dimensional placement of implants is more superficial.

Photoelastic stress analysis in prosthetic implants of different diameters: mini, narrow, standard or wide

This study investigated the biomechanical behavior of screwed partial fixed prosthesis supported by implants with different diameters (2.5 mm; 3.3 mm and 3.75 mm) by using a photoelastic analysis. Six photoelastic models were fabricated in PL-2 resin as single crowns or splinted 3-unit piece. Models were positioned in a circular polariscope and 100-N axial and oblique (45 degrees) loads were applied in the occlusal surface of the crowns by using a universal testing machine (EMIC). The stresses were photographically recorded and qualitatively analyzed using a software (Adobe Photoshop). Under axial loading, the number of fringes was inversely proportional to the diameter of the implants in the single crown models. In the splinted 3-unit piece, the 3.75-mm implant promoted lower number of fringes regardless of loading area application. Under oblique loading, a slight increase of fringes number was observed for all groups. The standard implant diameter promoted better stress distribution than the narrow and mini diameter implants. Additionally, the splinted crowns showed a more uniform stress distribution.

Reconstruction of alveolar bone defect with autogenous bone particles and osseointegrated implants: histologic analysis and 10 years monitoring

Maintaining the volume of the alveolar process after extraction can be achieved by immediate implant placement and guided bone regeneration, with or without the use of biomaterials. The authors present a case report with a 10 years follow-up, rehabilitation using osseointegrated implants in the extraction area and maintenance of the volume of the alveolar process with autogenous cortical bone shavings.

Clinical study on survival rate of short implants placed in the posterior mandibular region: resonance frequency analysis

Short implants are increasingly used, but there is doubt about their performance being similar to that of regular implants. The aim of this study was to compare the mechanical stability of short implants vs. regular implants placed in the edentulous posterior mandible. Twenty-three patients received a total of 48 short implants (5 × 5.5 mm and 5 × 7 mm) and 42 regular implants (4 × 10 mm and 4 × 11.5 mm) in the posterior mandible. Patients who received short implants had <10 mm of bone height measured from the bone crest to the outer wall of the mandibular canal. Resonance frequency analysis (RFA) was performed at time intervals T0 (immediately after implant placement), T1 (after 15 days), T2 (after 30 days), T3 (after 60 days), and T4 (after 90 days). The survival rate after 90 days was 87.5% for the short implants and 100% for regular implants (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the implants in time intervals T1, T2, T3, and T4. In T0, the RFA values of 5 × 5.5 implants were higher than values of 5 × 7 and 4 × 11.5 implants (P < 0.05). A total of six short implants that were placed in four patients were lost (three of 5 × 5.5 mm and three of 5 × 7 mm). Three lost implants started with high ISQ values, which progressively decreased. The other three lost implants started with a slightly lower ISQ value, which rose and then began to fall. Survival rate of short implants after 90 days was lower than that of regular implants. However, short implants may be considered a reasonable alternative for rehabilitation of severely resorbed mandibles with reduced height, to avoid performing bone reconstruction before implant placement. Patients need to be aware of the reduced survival rate compared with regular implants before implant placement to avoid disappointments.

Stress distribution in bone simulation model with pre-angled implants

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Evaluation of single implants placed in the posterior mandibular area under immediate loading: a prospective study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival of single dental implants subjected to immediate function. Twelve patients with edentulous areas in the posterior mandible were included in the study. All received at least one regular platform dental implant (3.75mm×11mm or 3.75mm×13mm). Clinical and radiographic parameters were evaluated. The survival rate after 12 months was 83.3%. The implants showed no clinical mobility, had implant stability quotient values (ISQ; Osstell) around 70, bone loss of up to 2mm, and a probing depth of ≤3mm. Although the posterior mandible is an area in which the immediate loading of dental implants should be performed with caution, this treatment presented a good success rate in the present study sample.

Bone Ceramic® at implants installed immediately into extraction sockets in the molar region: an experimental study in dogs

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Sub-crestal positioning of implants results in higher bony crest resorption: an experimental study in dogs

To compare peri-implant soft- and hard-tissue integration at implants installed juxta- or sub-crestally. Furthermore, differences in the hard and soft peri-implant tissue dimensions at sites prepared with drills or sonic instruments were to be evaluated. Three months after tooth extraction in six dogs, recipient sites were prepared in both sides of the mandible using conventional drills or a sonic device (Sonosurgery(®) ). Two implants with a 1.7-mm high-polished neck were installed, one with the rough/smooth surface interface placed at the level of the buccal bony crest (control) and the second placed 1.3 mm deeper (test). After 8 weeks of non-submerged healing, biopsies were harvested and ground sections prepared for histological evaluation. The buccal distances between the abutment/fixture junction (AF) and the most coronal level of osseointegration (B) were 1.6 ± 0.6 and 2.4 ± 0.4 mm; between AF and the top of the bony crest (C), they were 1.4 ± 0.4 and 2.2 ± 0.2 mm at the test and control sites, respectively. The top of the peri-implant mucosa (PM) was located more coronally at the test (1.2 ± 0.6 mm) compared to the control sites (0.6 ± 0.5 mm). However, when the original position of the bony crest was taken into account, a higher bone loss and a more apical position of the peri-implant mucosa resulted at the test sites. The placement of implants into a sub-crestal location resulted in a higher vertical buccal bone resorption and a more apical position of the peri-implant mucosa in relation to the level of the bony crest at implant installation. Moreover, peri-implant hard-tissue dimensions were similar at sites prepared with either drills or Sonosurgery(®) .

Sequential healing at implants with different configuration and modified surfaces: an experimental study in the dog

To evaluate the peri-implant soft and hard tissue adaptation at implants with different modified surfaces and configurations. Six Beagle dogs were used. Mandibular premolars and first molars were extracted bilaterally. After 3 months, full-thickness flaps were elevated, and two different types of trans-mucosal implants (ICX-Gold®, Medentis Medical GmbH, Dernau, Germany and SLActive®, Institute Straumann, Bern, Switzerland) and two different surfaces were randomly installed in the distal regions of one side of the mandible. Abutments were applied, and a nonsubmerged healing was allowed. After 1 month, the procedures were performed in the other side of the mandible, and after a further month, the animals were sacrificed, biopsies were collected, and ground sections prepared for histological examination. Similar results in marginal bone and soft tissues dimensions were observed after 1 month of healing at the two implant systems used, and no major changes could be observed after 2 months of healing. After 1 month, the percentage of new bone was 69.0% and 68.8% at ICX-Gold and SLActive surfaces, respectively. After 2 months, the percentage of new bone was 67.8% and 71.9% at ICX-Gold Medentis and SLActive surfaces, respectively. No statistically significant differences in osseointegration were found. The two implant systems used resulted in similar osseointegration after 1 and 2 months of healing.

Posterior partially edentulous jaws, planning a rehabilitation with dental implants

To discuss important characteristics of the use of dental implants in posterior quadrants and the rehabilitation planning. An electronic search of English articles was conducted on MEDLINE (PubMed) from 1990 up to the period of March 2014. The key terms were dental implants and posterior jaws, dental implants/treatment planning and posterior maxilla, and dental implants/treatment planning and posterior mandible. No exclusion criteria were used for the initial search. Clinical trials, randomized and non randomized studies, classical and comparative studies, multicenter studies, in vitro and in vivo studies, case reports, longitudinal studies and reviews of the literature were included in this review. One hundred and fifty-two articles met the inclusion criteria of treatment planning of dental implants in posterior jaw and were read in their entirety. The selected articles were categorized with respect to their context on space for restoration, anatomic considerations (bone quantity and density), radiographic techniques, implant selection (number, position, diameter and surface), tilted and pterygoid implants, short implants, occlusal considerations, and success rates of implants placed in the posterior region. The results derived from the review process were described under several different topic headings to give readers a clear overview of the literature. In general, it was observed that the use of dental implants in posterior region requires a careful treatment plan. It is important that the practitioner has knowledge about the theme to evaluate the treatment parameters. The use of implants to restore the posterior arch presents many challenges and requires a detailed treatment planning.