Jan L. Wennström

Mucogingival considerations in orthodontic treatment.

Alterations in the mucogingival complex will occur during orthodontic tooth movement, but these are independent of the apico-coronal width (height) of the gingiva. The integrity of the periodontium can be maintained during orthodontic therapy also in areas that have only a minimal zone of gingiva. In terms of changes in the position of the soft tissue margin and in gingival dimensions, the important factors to consider are the direction of the tooth movement and the bucco-lingual thickness of the gingiva. Lingual tooth movement will result in an increased bucco-lingual thickness of the tissue at the facial aspect of the tooth which results in coronal migration of the soft tissue margin (decreased clinical crown height). Facial tooth movement, on the other hand, will result in a reduced bucco-lingual tissue thickness and thereby a reduced height of the free gingival portion and an increased clinical crown height. The risk for development of recession type defects in conjunction with orthodontic tooth movement is present only if the tooth has been moved out of the alveolar bone housing, ie, when an alveolar bone dehiscence has been created.

Periodontal tissue response to orthodontic movement of teeth with infrabony pockets.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of orthodontic tooth movement on the level of the connective tissue attachment in sites with infrabony pockets. The experiment was carried out in four beagle dogs. The second and fourth premolars were extracted. After healing, angular bony defects were prepared at the mesial aspect of the third premolars. The exposed root surface was scaled and planed, and a notch was prepared at the bottom of the defect. Plaque-collecting cotton floss ligatures were placed around the neck of the teeth and maintained in situ for 3 weeks, followed by an additional 2 months of plaque accumulation before the orthodontic tooth movement was initiated. In each dog, one premolar was moved away from the angular bony defect and one premolar into and through the angular bony defect. The maxillary third premolars served as control teeth and were not subjected to orthodontic tooth movement. After orthodontic treatment (5 to 6 months), the teeth were stabilized for a period of 2 months before biopsy sampling. Clinical, radiographic, and histologic evaluations revealed that it was possible to establish and maintain an infrabony pocket with a subcrestal, plaque-induced inflammatory lesion during the entire course of the study. While the control teeth had maintained their attachment levels, all but one of the orthodontically moved teeth showed additional loss of attachment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effectiveness of Implant Therapy Analyzed in a Swedish Population: Prevalence of Peri-implantitis

Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory disease affecting soft and hard tissues surrounding dental implants. As the global number of individuals that undergo restorative therapy through dental implants increases, peri-implantitis is considered as a major and growing problem in dentistry. A randomly selected sample of 588 patients who all had received implant-supported therapy 9 y earlier was clinically and radiographically examined. Prevalence of peri-implantitis was assessed and risk indicators were identified by multilevel regression analysis. Forty-five percent of all patients presented with peri-implantitis (bleeding on probing/suppuration and bone loss >0.5 mm). Moderate/severe peri-implantitis (bleeding on probing/suppuration and bone loss >2 mm) was diagnosed in 14.5%. Patients with periodontitis and with ≥4 implants, as well as implants of certain brands and prosthetic therapy delivered by general practitioners, exhibited higher odds ratios for moderate/severe peri-implantitis. Similarly, higher odds ratios were identified for implants installed in the mandible and with crown restoration margins positioned ≤1.5 mm from the crestal bone at baseline. It is suggested that peri-implantitis is a common condition and that several patient- and implant-related factors influence the risk for moderate/severe peri-implantitis (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01825772).

Survival and complication rates of implant-supported fixed partial dentures with cantilevers: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE The objective of the present systematic review was to analyze the potential effect of incorporation of cantilever extensions on the survival rate of implant-supported fixed partial dental prostheses (FPDPs) and the incidence of technical and biological complications, as reported in longitudinal studies with at least 5 years of follow-up. METHODS A MEDLINE search was conducted up to and including November 2008 for longitudinal studies with a mean follow-up period of at least 5 years. Two reviewers performed screening and data abstraction independently. Prosthesis-based data on survival/failure rate, technical complications (prosthesis-related problems, implant loss) and biological complications (marginal bone loss) were analyzed. RESULTS The search provided 103 titles with abstract. Full-text analysis was performed of 12 articles, out of which three were finally included. Two of the studies had a prospective or retrospective case-control design, whereas the third was a prospective cohort study. The 5-year survival rate of cantilever FPDPs varied between 89.9% and 92.7% (weighted mean 91.9%), with implant fracture as the main cause for failures. The corresponding survival rate for FPDPs without cantilever extensions was 96.3-96.2% (weighted mean 95.8%). Technical complications related to the supra-constructions in the three included studies were reported to occur at a frequency of 13-26% (weighted mean 20.3%) for cantilever FPDPs compared with 0-12% (9.7%) for non-cantilever FPDPs. The most common complications were minor porcelain fractures and bridge-screw loosening. For cantilever FPDPs, the 5-year event-free survival rate varied between 66.7% and 79.2% (weighted mean 71.7%) and between 83.1% and 96.3% (weighted mean 85.9%) for non-cantilever FPDPs. No statistically significant differences were reported with regard to peri-implant bone-level change between the two prosthetic groups, either at the prosthesis or at the implant level. CONCLUSION Data on implant-supported FPDPs with cantilever extensions are limited and therefore survival and complication rates should be interpreted with caution. The incorporation of cantilevers into implant-borne prostheses may be associated with a higher incidence of minor technical complications.

Treatment of gingival recession defects with a coronally advanced flap and a xenogeneic collagen matrix: a multicenter randomized clinical trial

AIM To evaluate the clinical outcomes of the use of a xenogeneic collagen matrix (CM) in combination with the coronally advanced flap (CAF) in the treatment of localized recession defects. MATERIAL & METHODS In a multicentre single-blinded, randomized, controlled, split-mouth trial, 90 recessions (Miller I, II) in 45 patients received either CAF + CM or CAF alone. RESULTS At 6 months, root coverage (primary outcome) was 75.29% for test and 72.66% for control defects (p = 0.169), with 36% of test and 31% of control defects exhibiting complete coverage. The increase in mean width of keratinized tissue (KT) was higher in test (from 1.97 to 2.90 mm) than in control defects (from 2.00 to 2.57 mm) (p = 0.036). Likewise, test sites had more gain in gingival thickness (GT) (0.59 mm) than control sites (0.34 mm) (p = 0.003). Larger (≥3 mm) recessions (n = 35 patients) treated with CM showed higher root coverage (72.03% versus 66.16%, p = 0.043), as well as more gain in KT and GT. CONCLUSIONS CAF + CM was not superior with regard to root coverage, but enhanced gingival thickness and width of keratinized tissue when compared with CAF alone. For the coverage of larger defects, CAF + CM was more effective.

Longevity of teeth and implants - a systematic review.

The objective of this systematic review was to describe the incidence of tooth and implant loss reported in long-term studies. Prospective longitudinal studies reporting on teeth or implants survival with a follow-up period of at least 10 years were considered. Papers were excluded if the drop out rate exceeded 30% or if <70% of the initial subject sample was examined at 10 years of follow-up. Seventy publications on teeth were identified as potentially relevant for the focussed question. The analysis of the abstracts yielded 37 studies eligible for full-text analysis. The inclusion criteria were met in 11 of the publications that included in all 3015 subjects. The initial search on implant studies generated 52 publications that possibly could be included. Following the evaluation of the abstracts and full-text analysis nine publications were found to fulfil the inclusion criteria. The nine studies included 476 subjects. The incidence of tooth loss among subjects with a follow-up period of 10-30 years varied from 1.3% to 5% in the majority of studies, while in two epidemiological studies on rural Chinese populations the incidences of tooth loss were 14% and 20%. The percentage of implants reported as lost during the follow-up period varied between 1% and 18%. In clinically well-maintained patients, the loss rate at teeth was lower than that at implant. Bone level changes appeared to be small at teeth as well as at implants in well-maintained patients. Comparisons of the longevity at teeth and dental implants are difficult due to heterogeneity among the studies.

Effectiveness of Implant Therapy Analyzed in a Swedish Population Early and Late Implant Loss

Treatment outcomes in implant dentistry have been mainly assessed as implant survival rates in small, selected patient groups of specialist or university clinical settings. This study reports on loss of dental implants assessed in a large and randomly selected patient sample. The results were aimed at representing evaluation of effectiveness of implant dentistry. Using the national data register of the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, 4,716 patients were randomly selected. All had been provided with implant-supported restorative therapy in 2003. Patient files of 2,765 patients (11,311 implants) were collected from more than 800 clinicians. Information on patients, treatment procedures, and outcomes related to the implant-supported restorative therapy was extracted from the files. In total, 596 of the 2,765 subjects, provided with 2,367 implants, attended a clinical examination 9 y after therapy. Implant loss that occurred prior to connection of the supraconstruction was scored as an early implant loss, while later occurring loss was considered late implant loss. Early implant loss occurred in 4.4% of patients (1.4% of implants), while 4.2% of the patients who were examined 9 y after therapy presented with late implant loss (2.0% of implants). Overall, 7.6% of the patients had lost at least 1 implant. Multilevel analysis revealed higher odds ratios for early implant loss among smokers and patients with an initial diagnosis of periodontitis. Implants shorter than 10 mm and representing certain brands also showed higher odds ratios for early implant loss. Implant brand also influenced late implant loss. Implant loss is not an uncommon event, and patient and implant characteristics influence outcomes (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01825772).

A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized-Controlled 5-Year Study of Hybrid and Fully Etched Implants for the Incidence of Peri-Implantitis

BACKGROUND The dual acid-etched (DAE) implant was commercially introduced in 1996 with a hybrid design incorporating a machined surface in the coronal region from approximately the third thread to the seating surface. This design was intended to reduce the risks of peri-implantitis and other related soft tissue complications that were reported for implants with surface roughness in the coronal region. The objective of this prospective, randomized-controlled clinical trial was to determine the incidence of peri-implantitis for a fully etched implant with the DAE surface extending to the implant platform. METHODS Patients had implant sites randomly assigned to receive one hybrid control implant and at least one fully etched test implant in support of a short-span fixed restoration to ensure that variables (e.g., demographics, jaw locations, and bone density) were consistent between groups. Prostheses were inserted 2 months after implant placement with follow-up evaluations scheduled annually for 5 years to assess mucosal health based on bleeding on probing, suppuration, and probing depths. Evaluations also included radiographic and mobility assessments. RESULTS One hundred twelve patients who were enrolled at seven centers received 139 control and 165 test implants (total: 304 implants). With >5 years of postloading evaluations, there was one declaration of peri-implantitis associated with a control implant that was successfully treated later. Clinical probing and radiographic assessments did not reveal differences between groups in mucosal health outcomes or other signs of peri-implantitis. CONCLUSION Five-year results of this randomized-controlled study showed no increased risk of peri-implantitis for fully etched implants compared to hybrid-designed implants.

Severity and pattern of peri-implantitis-associated bone loss

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to describe the severity and pattern of peri-implantitis-associated bone loss. MATERIAL AND METHODS Intra-oral radiographs from 182 subjects were analysed. Bone-level measurements were performed in 419 implants with a history of bone loss. All radiographs obtained in the interval from the 1-year follow-up to the end-point examination (5-23 years) were analysed. The amount of bone loss that occurred from 1 year after prosthesis insertion was assessed and the pattern of bone loss was evaluated. RESULTS The average bone loss after the first year of function was 1.68 mm and 32% of the implants demonstrated bone loss > or =2 mm. The multilevel model revealed that the bone loss showed a non-linear pattern and that the rate of bone loss increased over time. The model also revealed that the pattern of peri-implantitis associated bone loss was similar within the same subject. CONCLUSION It is suggested that peri-implantitis-associated bone loss varies between subjects and is, in most cases, characterized by a non-linear progression, with the rate of loss increasing over time.

Control of periodontal infections: A randomized controlled trial I. The primary outcome attachment gain and pocket depth reduction at treated sites

OBJECTIVE To compare the treatment outcome of scaling and root planing (SRP) in combination with systemic antibiotics, local antibiotic therapy and/or periodontal surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS One hundred and eighty-seven patients were assigned to eight groups treated by SRP plus none, one, two or three adjunctive treatments and monitored for 24 months in a randomized controlled clinical trial using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. Systemic amoxicillin + metronidazole (SMA), local tetracycline delivery (LTC) and periodontal surgery (SURG) were evaluated as adjuncts. Changes in clinical attachment level (CAL) and probing pocket depth (PPD) were statistically evaluated by ancova of main effects. RESULTS Effects of adjunctive therapy to SRP were minimal at 3 months. Between 3 and 6 months PPD reduction occurred particularly in patients receiving periodontal surgery. After 6 months, both CAL gain and PPD reduction reached a plateau that was maintained at 24 months in all groups. The 24-month CAL gain was improved by SMA (0.50 mm) while PPD was reduced by SMA (0.51 mm) and SURG (0.36 mm). Smoking reduced CAL gain and PPD reduction. CONCLUSION Patients receiving adjunctive therapies generally exhibited improved CAL gain and/or PPD reduction when compared with the outcome of SRP alone. Only additive, not synergistic effects of the various adjunctive therapies were observed.