Paolo Ghensi

Vertical Guided Bone Regeneration using Titanium-reinforced d-PTFE Membrane and Prehydrated Corticocancellous Bone Graft

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) standard protocols call for filling the space underneath the membrane with autogenous bone or a mixture composed of autogenous bone particles and allogeneic bone tissue or heterologous biomaterials. This work describes the case of a GBR performed to restore a vertical bone defect with simultaneous placement of a dental implant in the posterior mandible that was carried out using a high density d-PTFE membrane and corticocancellous porcine-derived bone without the addition of any autogenous bone. Bone regeneration was assessed by histological analysis of a biopsy sample collected from the grafted site nine months after the surgery. Intraoral radiographs taken at follow-up visits showed complete maintenance of the peri-implant bone levels for up to two years after prosthesis delivery. The regenerated site successfully supported functional loading of the implant. The present case report suggests that the use of a heterologous bone substitute alone to restore a vertical defect in a GBR procedure can be as effective as the standard protocol, while avoiding the drawbacks associated with a second surgical site opening.

Long-Term Results of Immediately Loaded Fast Bone Regeneration–Coated Implants Placed in Fresh Extraction Sites in the Upper Jaw

Recently, many authors have investigated the results of immediately loaded implants in fresh extraction sites, reporting favorable success rates, but only a few studies have included a long-term follow-up in the maxilla with analysis of clinical and radiographic data. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictability of the immediate loading protocol with fast bone regeneration (FBR)-coated implants placed in postextractive sites in the maxilla, considering the success rate after at least 5 years of follow-up. Moreover, the clinical and radiographic results are evaluated in terms of soft tissue conditions and crestal bone loss values. One hundred fifty-eight implants were inserted following dental extraction in 70 consecutively operated patients. Each implant was immediately prosthesized. The data were collected before surgical planning, at the time of insertion, and after 3 and 5 years of occlusal loading. Specific success criteria were used to assess the success rate of immediately loaded postextraction implants. Clinical and radiographic examinations were used to determine long-term results. After a 5-year follow-up, 2 implants were lost, with a cumulative success rate of 98.7%. The radiographic and clinical data revealed well-maintained hard and soft tissues, with acceptable long-term results. The use of immediately loaded FBR-coated implants in fresh extraction sockets is shown to be a predictable technique if implants are inserted in selected cases and positioned with great care, following thorough preoperative analysis.

Primary and Secondary Stability of Implants in Postextraction and Healed Sites: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

PURPOSEnThis randomized clinical trial aimed to investigate the relationships between insertion torque, implant stability quotient (ISQ), and crestal bone loss (CBL) of implants placed in fresh or 12-week healed extraction sites.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnForty patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups and had one implant placed immediately (test group, n = 20) or 12 weeks after extraction (control group, n = 20) at premolar or molar sites. For all implants, insertion torque and ISQ scores at insertion and loading were recorded. Patients were followed for up to 12 months.nnnRESULTSnImplant success was 100% in both groups. No differences were observed concerning both ISQ at insertion and ISQ at loading. A stronger correlation was detected between ISQ at insertion and insertion torque in the postextractive group (R = 0.83), than in the delayed group (R = 0.39), while ISQ at loading and insertion torque showed no correlation. CBL at 12 months was significantly different between test (0.68 ± 0.43 mm) and control (0.40 ± 0.26 mm, P = .02) groups.nnnCONCLUSIONnImplant placement timing (immediate or delayed) may affect correlation between insertion torque and ISQ at insertion with ISQ at loading. While insertion torque influences ISQ at insertion, it does not affect ISQ at loading because of successful osseointegration. Postextraction and delayed implants seem to have similar ISQ at insertion and at loading, but different CBL after 12 months of follow-up because of postextraction bone remodeling.

Peri-implant bone response around a human hydroxyapatite-coated implant retrieved after a 10-year loading period: a case report.

This case report presents a histologic and histomorphometric evaluation of the peri-implant tissues of a HA-coated implant retrieved due to peri-implantitis after a 10-year loading period. The implant was retrieved with a trephine and treated to obtain thin ground sections. At low-power magnification mostly compact, mature bone with small marrow spaces could be observed at the interface with the implant. The coating was always present in the areas where bone was detected, the bone was always in close contact with the coating, and there was no detachment between the metal and coating or between the coating and bone. Areas of bone remodeling were demonstrated by the presence of many secondary osteons and reversal lines close to the implant surface. The bone-implant contact percentage was 36.3% ± 1.2%. The percentage of the implant surface covered by the HA coating without bone, where bone may have detached during retrieval, was 32.6% ± 2.8%. This HA-coated implant, continued to demonstrate more than adequate BIC after many years of function and the potential to maintain osseointegration in the long term.

Fixed Conometric Retention with CAD/CAM Conic Coupling Abutments and Prefabricated Syncone Caps: A Case Series

The conometric retention system was proposed and described as a predictable alternative to retain fixed implant-supported complete dentures and, more recently, to retain fixed partial restorations. Currently available studies describe a technique based on the Ankylos (Dentsply) implant system and stock conic coupling abutments. The purpose of this case series study is therefore to demonstrate the possibility of using Atlantis computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacture technology to produce Conus abutments (Dentsply) and using the fixed conometric retention with other implant brands for which appropriate stock conic coupling abutments are not available.

Double Duplicate Technique for CAD/CAM Full-Arch Immediate Loading: A Technical Description and Case Report

Full-arch fixed implant-supported prostheses have shown high biologic success rates after long-term follow-up, along with technical and prosthetic complications. Adequate planning is necessary for immediate implant occlusal loading in a completely edentulous maxilla or mandible. For totally edentulous patients, the main prosthetic problem is the transfer of diagnostic information to the master cast when an immediate loading approach is used. The aim of this clinical case report is to illustrate a new prosthetic protocol for immediate implant loading in edentulous or potentially edentulous patients. This innovative procedure can successfully guide the clinician step by step in a predictable way from diagnosis to delivery of an immediately loaded implant-supported full-arch rehabilitation.

The influence of implant-abutment connection to peri-implant bone loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSEnDifferent implant-abutment connections are available and it has been claimed they could have an effect on marginal bone loss. The aim of this review is to establish if implant connection configuration influences peri-implant bone loss (PBL) after functional loading.nnnMETHODSnA specific question was formulated according to the Population, Intervention, Control, and Outcome (PICO): Does the type of implant-abutment connection (external, internal, or conical) have an influence on peri-implant bone loss? A PubMed/MEDLINE electronic search was conducted to identify English language publications published in international journals during the last decade (from 2006 to 2016). The search was conducted by using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) keywords dental implants OR dental abutment AND external connection OR internal connection OR conical connection OR Morse Taper. Selected studies were randomized clinical trials and prospective studies; in vitro studies, case reports and retrospective studies were excluded. Titles and abstracts and, in the second phase, full texts, were evaluated autonomously and in duplicate by two reviewers.nnnRESULTSnA total of 1649 articles were found, but only 14 studies met the pre-established inclusion criteria and were considered suitable for meta-analytic analysis. The network meta-analysis (NMA) suggested a significant difference between the external and the conical connections; this was less evident for the internal and conical ones. Platform-switching (PS) seemed to positively affect bone levels, non-regarding the implant-connection it was applied to.nnnCONCLUSIONSnWithin the limitations of this systematic review, it can be concluded that crestal bone levels are better maintained in the short-medium term when internal kinds of interface are adopted. In particular, conical connections seem to be more advantageous, showing lower peri-implant bone loss, but further studies are necessary to investigate the efficacy of implant-abutment connection on stability of crestal bone levels.

Effect of Oral Administration of Bromelain on Postoperative Discomfort After Third Molar Surgery

Introduction: The purpose of this prospective randomized controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the effect of oral administration of bromelain on discomfort after mandibular third molar surgery. Materials and Methods: Eighty-four consecutive patients requiring surgical removal of a single mandibular impacted third molar under local anesthesia were randomly assigned to receiving no drug (control group, Group A), postoperative 40u200amg bromelain every 6u200ahours for 6 days (Group B), preoperative 4u200amg dexamethasone sodium phosphate as a submucosal injection (Group C), and preoperative 4u200amg dexamethasone sodium phosphate as a submucosal injection plus postoperative 40u200amg bromelain every 6u200ahours for 6 days (Group D). Standardized surgical and analgesic protocols were adopted. Maximum interincisal distance and facial contours were measured at baseline and on postoperative days 2 and 7. Pain was measured objectively by counting the number of analgesic tablets required. Patient perception of the severity of symptoms was assessed with a follow-up questionnaire (PoSSe scale). Results: On postoperative day 2, there was a statistically significant reduction in facial edema in both Groups C and D compared with the control group, but no statistically significant differences were observed between Group B and the control group. At evaluation on postoperative day 7, Group D showed a statistically significant reduction in postoperative swelling compared with the control group. The combined use of bromelain and dexamethasone (Group D) induced a statistically significant reduction in the total number of analgesic tablets taken after surgery compared with the control group. The treatment groups had a limited, nonsignificant effect on trismus when compared with the control group. Conclusions: Bromelain used singly showed moderate anti-inflammatory efficacy, reducing postoperative swelling, albeit not to any significant extent compared with no drug administration. The combined use of bromelain and dexamethasone sodium phosphate yielded the best results in terms of control of postoperative discomfort.

Postextraction Implant Placement with Immediate Provisionalisation and Finalisation, Using a Simplified Technique: Technical Notes and a Case Report

Trauma of maxillary teeth is a common accident. In most cases, the result is a root or crown fracture requiring tooth extraction and implant placement. Immediate postextraction implants are considered an effective option for restoring missing teeth in order to achieve successful aesthetic and functional outcomes. The aim of this article is to describe a clinical case in which a fractured maxillary canine was replaced by an osseointegrated implant using a simplified technique in a patient who was a smoker and presented poor oral hygiene. The technique adopted permits a reduction of the number of implant components and consequently a lower cost of treatment, while at the same time maintaining acceptable aesthetic and functional outcomes.

Implant rehabilitation of the edentulous jaws: Does tilting of posterior implants at an angle greater than 45° affect bone resorption and implant success?: A retrospective study

PURPOSEnThis study aimed to (1) investigate the success of posterior implants tilted >45° when 4 immediately loaded implants were used to support full-arch prostheses, eliminating any distal cantilever and (2) examine the effect on marginal bone loss (MBL) of different combinations of anterior multi-unit abutment (MUA) angles and posterior implant tilting angles.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnRecords of patients rehabilitated according to the Columbus Bridge Protocol were analyzed. Peri-implant bone levels (PBLs) and MBL were measured for each implant. The influence of posterior implant tilting angle on PBL, MBL, and implant and prosthetic success rate was investigated. The impact on the same endpoints of different anterior MUA angles, and different combinations of anterior MUA and tilted posterior implant angles was also examined.nnnRESULTSnRecords of 41 patients were analyzed, for a total of 46 complete rehabilitations, and 142 implants (52 anterior, 63 posterior tilted ≤45° [group 1], and 27 posterior tilted >45° [group 2]). No implants were lost during the follow-up (25.9 months), and no prosthetic complications were reported. Success rate for posterior implants was 100% in group 1 and 96.3% in group 2. Mean MBL differed significantly between the 2 groups (0.45 mm in group 1, 0.66 in group 2 [P = .04]), but not when the analysis was limited to implants in the same jaw. Implant tilting angle did not correlate with MBL and the MUA angle had no effect on bone resorption around posterior implants, neither in the sample as a whole nor in individual patients.nnnCONCLUSIONSnPosterior implants tilted >45° to eliminate distal cantilever may be as safe as those tilted less in severely atrophic jaws rehabilitated with immediately loaded, full-arch prostheses supported on 4 implants. Further prospective studies on larger samples of patients and implants and with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.