Georg Mailath-Pokorny

Esthetics of Flapless Single‐Tooth Implants in the Anterior Maxilla Using Guided Surgery: Association of Three‐Dimensional Accuracy and Pink Esthetic Score

BACKGROUND Flapless implant placement using surgical templates may guarantee predictable and esthetic results provided that preplanned implant positions are transfered precisely into surgical reality. PURPOSE The study aims to investigate the effect of three-dimensional accuracy in guided implant surgery on the esthetic outcome of single-tooth implants in the anterior maxilla. MATERIALS AND METHODS Single-tooth implants for delayed replacement of upper incisors were inserted in 27 patients using stereolithographic templates. Superimposition of postoperative cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans allowed assessment of positional inaccuracy at the implant shoulder and apex, as well as angular deviation. Objective evaluation of implant esthetics was performed after a mean follow-up of 2.3 years using the Pink Esthetic Score (PES). RESULTS Mean deviation between planned and actual implant position was 0.84 mm at the implant shoulder and significantly correlated to average PES of 12 (p = .031). Inaccuracy toward the buccal side was most frequent (70%). Deviations  ≥  0.8  mm resulted in significantly worse implant esthetics (median PES: 9.5, interquartile range [IQR]: 8-11) compared with more accurate implant positions (median PES: 13, IQR: 12-13, p = .039). CONCLUSION Positional inaccuracy is low in guided implant surgery, but may however significantly compromise implant esthetics in the anterior maxilla.Background Flapless implant placement using surgical templates may guarantee predictable and esthetic results provided that preplanned implant positions are transfered precisely into surgical reality. Purpose The study aims to investigate the effect of three-dimensional accuracy in guided implant surgery on the esthetic outcome of single-tooth implants in the anterior maxilla. Materials and Methods Single-tooth implants for delayed replacement of upper incisors were inserted in 27 patients using stereolithographic templates. Superimposition of postoperative cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans allowed assessment of positional inaccuracy at the implant shoulder and apex, as well as angular deviation. Objective evaluation of implant esthetics was performed after a mean follow-up of 2.3 years using the Pink Esthetic Score (PES). Results Mean deviation between planned and actual implant position was 0.84 mm at the implant shoulder and significantly correlated to average PES of 12 (p = .031). Inaccuracy toward the buccal side was most frequent (70%). Deviations ≥ 0.8 mm resulted in significantly worse implant esthetics (median PES: 9.5, interquartile range [IQR]: 8–11) compared with more accurate implant positions (median PES: 13, IQR: 12–13, p = .039). Conclusion Positional inaccuracy is low in guided implant surgery, but may however significantly compromise implant esthetics in the anterior maxilla.

Graftless Full-Arch Implant Rehabilitation with Interantral Implants and Immediate or Delayed Loading-Part II: Transition from the Failing Maxillary Dentition.

PURPOSE To compare long-term survival and marginal bone loss of immediate interantral implants in the nonaugmented maxilla subjected to immediate vs delayed loading. MATERIALS AND METHODS Graftless maxillary cross-arch rehabilitation was performed in a total of 362 patients in the years 2004 to 2013 (1,797 implants). Of the 240 patients with immediate implants replacing their failing maxillary dentition, 81% were subjected to immediate loading and 19% to delayed loading of their 4 to 6 interantral implants (980 and 235 implants, respectively). Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were computed and marginal bone loss was evaluated in a stratified random sample of 20 patients per group. RESULTS Thirty-one of 1,215 implants failed within the mean observation period of 3.9 years, and no difference in 8-year survival estimates could be seen between immediate (97.6% [95% CI: 96.7 to 98.6]) and delayed (96.6% [95% CI: 94.3 to 98.9]) loading protocols (P = .359). Mean marginal bone resorption following implant insertion did not differ significantly between the groups (1.5 ± 1.7 mm vs 0.7 ± 1.1 mm, P = .379); however, it was significantly associated with a reduced number of implants (P = .017) and patient history of periodontal disease (P < .001). CONCLUSION Immediate loading of interantral implants yields satisfactory results in the transition of patients from a failing maxillary dentition to full-arch implant rehabilitation and thus may be favored over delayed loading concepts.

Immediate Restoration of Immediate Implants in the Esthetic Zone of the Maxilla Via the Copy-Abutment Technique: 5-Year Follow-Up of Pink Esthetic Scores.

BACKGROUND Implant esthetics may benefit from individualized zirconia abutments copying the emergence profile of the natural tooth and delivered within days after immediate implant insertion. PURPOSE To investigate the esthetic outcome of the Copy-Abutment technique using the Pink Esthetic Score (PES). MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 77 patients with single-tooth implants in the anterior maxilla restored at the day of immediate implant placement using Copy-Abutments and provisional crowns were followed-up after 1 week, 1 month, 4 months, 6 months, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years to assess implant esthetics. RESULTS PES ranged between 7 and 14 (median: 13) and improved significantly between the 6 month and 1 year follow-up (p < .001), then remained stable up to the fifth year. Significant improvement was seen for the variables PES-6 soft tissue color (p = .002) and PES-7 soft tissue texture (p < .001) up to the 1 year follow-up, while PES-5 alveolar process deficiency deteriorated (p = .016). Mean mucosal recession was 0.26 ± 0.86 mm (range: 0-1.6) after 5 years and not related to gingival biotype. CONCLUSION Copy-Abutments for immediate restoration of implants in the esthetic zone show satisfactory long-term esthetic outcomes.

Denture-Related Biomechanical Factors for Fixed Partial Dentures Retained on Short Dental Implants.

Prosthodontically driven biomechanical considerations are essential for longterm successful outcomes in dental implant therapy. Correct protocols seek to preclude potential consequences associated with functional and parafunctional occlusal overload such as screw loosening, component fracture, compromised marginal bone maintenance, and the integrity of the induced osseointegration response. Other concerns also need to be addressed, more especially when other implants are selected, for example: bridge insertion torque (BIT) in cases of immediate loading, cantilever length-anteroposterior spread ratio (CL-AP), overall crown-to-implant ratio (oCIR), total bone-to-implant surface area (tBICA), and the status of the opposing dentition. In spite of promising clinical results, evidence-based clinical protocols demand that such biomechanical limits still need to be determined.

Alveolar Ridge Augmentation Using Dystopic Autogenous Tooth: 2-Year Results of an Open Prospective Study

PURPOSE To evaluate the use of chemically unchanged tooth material in lateral alveolar ridge augmentation or for the filling of jaw defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 20 patients underwent either lateral augmentation of the alveolar process (11 patients) or filling of jaw defects (6 patients) with autogenous unaltered tooth material in a longitudinal 2-year study. In three patients, the jaw defect was so marked that a bone block graft had to be used for augmentation in addition to particulate dental material. In four patients, an autogenous tooth block was exclusively used; in seven, crushed tooth material was exclusively used; and in the remaining six, dystopic teeth that had been extracted were removed, crushed, and reinserted into the defect in particulate form. Fully impacted teeth served as autogenous donor teeth. RESULTS After a healing time of 3 to 6 months, 28 implants could be placed (10 immediate implants, 18 delayed implants). At 6, 12, and 24 months postrestoration, peri-implant bone loss as assessed by x-ray was 0 mm, 0.4 mm, and 0.6 mm, respectively. Peri-implant probing depth was 1 mm after 1 year and 2 mm after 2 years. Bleeding on probing was not seen in any of the implants after 2 years. CONCLUSION Autogenous tooth material appears to be suitable for the restoration of lateral and intraosseous defects of the alveolar ridge with both complete blocks and in particulate form. However, additional long-term studies with higher case numbers will be required for substantiating these results.

Graftless Full-Arch Implant Rehabilitation with Interantral Implants and Immediate or Delayed Loading-Part I: Reconstruction of the Edentulous Maxilla.

PURPOSE To compare long-term survival and marginal bone loss of late interantral implants in the nonaugmented edentulous maxilla subjected to immediate vs delayed loading. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred twenty-two edentulous patients with implants in native, healed jawbone were subjected to either immediate loading (179 implants) or delayed loading (403 implants) of their four to six interantral implants (part I of 362 graftless maxillary cross-arch rehabilitations performed in the years 2004 to 2013). Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were computed, and marginal bone loss was evaluated in a stratified random sample of 20 patients per group. RESULTS Fifteen of 582 implants failed within the mean observation period of 4.7 years, and no difference in 8-year survival estimates could be seen between immediate (98.3% [95% CI: 96.4-100.0]) and delayed (96.7% [95% CI: 94.7-98.6]) loading protocols (P = .370). Mean marginal bone resorption following implant insertion did not differ significantly between the groups (1.1 ± 1.3 mm vs 1.4 ± 1.3 mm, P = .490). CONCLUSION Immediate loading of interantral implants in the nonaugmented edentulous maxilla yields favorable results comparable to delayed loading and may be considered to shorten periods of removable provisional prostheses in maxillary edentulism.

Single tooth implants in the esthetic zone following a two-stage all flapless approach: A retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND Due to chronic inflammation or trauma facial bone is frequently missing after tooth loss in the esthetic zone. As a consequence, procedures to augment or at least to preserve bone are frequently necessary prior to implant placement. PURPOSE The aim of this retrospective case series is to demonstrate the applicability of a staged all-flapless concept to establish satisfactory implant restorations following situations of partial missing facial bone in the esthetic zone. MATERIALS AND METHODS Radiological/clinical data of 25 patients were analyzed and an esthetic evaluation of 24 patients was performed. The staged concept included ridge preservation at time of tooth extraction and delayed guided implant placement. Marginal bone loss was measured radiologically and esthetic evaluation was performed based on standardized photographs using the Pink Esthetic Score as well as the Papilla Index. RESULTS Implant success rate revealed 100%. The mean radiological peri-implant marginal bone loss measured 1.16 mm (SD: 0.16). Regarding the esthetic outcome 71% of patients were evaluated with a Pink Esthetic Score higher or equal to 10 constituting satisfactory esthetics (median pink esthetic score: 10). The mean follow-up time for clinical and radiographic analysis was 1.3 years (SD: 0.6 years) and 1.2 years (SD: 0.6) for esthetic evaluation. CONCLUSION Although marginal bone loss cannot be avoided, the staged concept of flapless ridge preservation and subsequent delayed flapless guided implant placement carries the potential to improve esthetics of single-tooth implants in the anterior maxilla.

Patient-Perceived Morbidity and Subjective Functional Impairment Following Immediate Transition from a Failing Dentition to Fixed Implant Rehabilitation

PURPOSE Failing residual dentition gives rise to patient concerns about the surgical and prosthodontic management of immediate implant rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to assess subjective patient experiences of full-arch immediate implant loading. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients made a transition from poor dentition in the maxilla (25 patients) or mandible (25 patients) to full-arch rehabilitation on the day of extraction using four interantral or interforaminal implants. Provisional restoration was performed, and postoperative pain, swelling, and patient-perceived impairment in the first week was recorded. RESULTS Absence of pain was reported by 40%, 52%, and 66% of patients, on the day of surgery, on the first day after surgery, and on the second day after surgery, respectively; pain levels decreased significantly (from 1.8 to 0.9, P < .001) and patient-reported swelling decreased from 1.5 to 1.3 (P = .058) on a 10-point scale. Postoperative impairment of everyday life and work (mean score = 1.1) was significantly less pronounced than impairment of food intake (mean score = 2.2; P = .004) or speech (mean score = 1.9; P = .002). Of these patients, 88% would again undergo the procedure without doubt. CONCLUSION Although patient-perceived morbidity after immediate full-arch implant rehabilitation is low in general, minor masticatory and phonetic impairment should be taken into account.

Periimplantitis Treatment: Long-term Comparison of Laser Decontamination and Implantoplasty Surgery

Purpose:Periimplantitis is the most frequent cause of late implant failure; however, little is known about the long-term success of periimplantitis treatment and the effectiveness of various therapeutic interventions. Materials and Methods:A total of 142 patients were referred to the Academy for Oral Implantology in Vienna for the treatment of recurrent periimplantitis around single-tooth implants. Of them, 72 patients (51%) were treated by laser decontamination, 47 patients (33%) by implantoplasty surgery, and 23 patients (16%) by a combination of both approaches. Results:Overall success of periimplantitis therapy was 89% after 9 years of follow-up, and it did not differ significantly between female and male patients (P = 0.426). The number of implant failures that could not be prevented by periimplantitis treatment was 6 after laser decontamination (8%), 6 after implantoplasty surgery (13%), and 4 after a combination of both therapies (17%). Implant loss occurred after 4.9 ± 1.9 years of therapy, on average. No significant difference between the 3 treatment groups could be observed (P = 0.393). Conclusion:The present results suggest that success rates of periimplantitis therapy with either laser decontamination or surgical implantoplasty are high. These success rates do not appear to be associated with patient gender or treatment strategy.

Graft Remodeling following Transcrestal Sinus Floor Elevation via the Gel-Pressure Technique (GPT) and Pasteous Nano-Crystalline Hydroxyapatite Bone Substitute

Bone grafting of the maxillary sinus is attempted to compensate for sinus pneumatization and permit reliable insertion of endosseous dental implants for prosthetic rehabilitation. The aim of the present clinical investigation was to study bone regeneration four months after transcrestal sinus floor elevation via the Gel-Pressure Technique (GPT) and application of pasteous nano-crystalline hydroxyapatite bone substitute. A total of 25 patients with deficient alveolar ridges in the posterior maxilla (mean residual bone height: 4.7 ± 1.8 mm) were subjected to 32 flapless transcrestal sinus floor augmentations and simultaneous insertion of 40 implants. Sinus membrane elevation height averaged 11.2 ± 2.7 mm and minimal vertical graft resorption of 0.1 mm was observed after four months. Radiographic bone density averaged 460 Hounsfield units in regions adjacent to the native jawbone (1 to 7 mm distance), while reduction of bone density by −7.2%, −11.3%, −14.8%, −19.6% and −22.7% was recorded in more apical regions of 8, 9, 10, 11, and ≥12 mm distance to the original sinus floor, respectively. The results suggest that graft remodeling is completed up to a distance of 7 mm within a healing period of four months after sinus augmentation using nano-crystalline hydroxyapatite bone substitute material.