The use of short (8-mm) locking-taper implants is a predictable treatment modality for the restoration of single tooth gaps of posterior segments of dentition.

Satisfactory "complication-free" survival rates can be achieved after 20 years for fixed restorations supported by Morse-taper connection implants, with minimal marginal bone loss and complications.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare different surgical therapies to treat peri-implantitis. Methods: Twenty-three patients presenting one implant affected by peri-implantitis were divided into three groups: (i) open flap debridement (OFD) and citric acid decontamination (CAD); (ii) OFD, CAD and subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG); (iii) OFD, CAD and implantoplasty. Modified plaque index (MPI), gingival bleeding index (GBI), keratinized mucosa (KM) width, probing depth (PD), bleeding or suppuration on probing (B/SOP), and radiographic crestal bone level were registered 1(T1), 2(T2) and 3(T3) years after treatment. Results: In Group 1 there was a significant improvement in MPI from baseline to T1, and a significant reduction in PD over time. In Group 2, none of the assessed clinical parameters showed any statistically significant variation over time. In Group 3, there was a significant decrease in PD and B/SOP over time. When comparing the 3 Groups, KM was significanlty greater in Group 2 vs. Group 1 and Group 3 at T1 and T2, and in Group 2 vs. Group 3 at T3. Conclusion: All therapies were successful in the management of peri-implantitis; however, SCTG maintained the greatest KM width. Surgical therapies combined with mechanical and chemical decontamination contributed to peri-implant tissue health.Abbreviations and acronyms: B/SOP = bleeding or suppuration on probing; CBL = crestal bone level; PD = probing depth; SCTG = subepithelial connective tissue graft.

No abstract

Background Air abrasion (AA) is one of the decontamination methods that have demonstrated promising results in treating peri‐implant diseases. Purpose This systematic review aimed at evaluating the in vitro effect of AA on surface change, cleaning efficacy, and biocompatibility of titanium surfaces and at comparing it with other decontamination methods. Materials and Methods A comprehensive search was conducted up to April 2018 using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases to identify studies on the decontamination effect of AA. All types of titanium surfaces, abrasive powders, contaminated surfaces, and measuring methods were included. Results Overall, 1502 articles were identified. After screening the titles and abstracts, and carefully reading the full‐texts, 48 articles published between 1989 and 2018 were selected. AA was considered almost safe, particularly for the nonmodified surfaces. Nevertheless, harder powders such as sodium bicarbonate tended to damage the surface more than glycine. AA resulted in surface change similar to plastic curettes and Er: YAG lasers. Regarding the cleaning efficacy, there was no significant difference between glycine and sodium bicarbonate, but different mixtures of calcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, and erythritol were superior to glycine. AA was superior or equal to all other decontamination methods in cleaning. Regarding biocompatibility, AA was more successful in preserving biocompatibility for noncontaminated surfaces compared with contaminated surfaces and when used with erythritol and osteoinductive powders. Conclusions AA can efficiently remove contamination without serious damage to the surface. The main drawback of the AA method seems to be its limitation in restoring the biocompatibility of the surface.

All tested rotatory instruments performed the same level of surface roughness in the implantoplasty. The tungsten carbide bur caused a minor change in the implant temperature. The multilaminar bur performed a faster wear time. More in vivo studies are necessary to conclude which is the best rotatory instrument for implantoplasty.

Background: Pulpotomy of primary teeth provides favorable clinical results over time; however, to date, there is still not a consensus on an ideal pulp dressing material. Therefore, the aim of the present systematic review was to compare pulpotomy agents to establish a preferred material to use. Methods: After raising a PICO question, the PRISMA guideline was adopted to carry out an electronic search through the MEDLINE database to identify comparative studies on several pulp dressing agents, published up to October 2019. Results: The search resulted in 4274 records; after exclusion, a total of 41 papers were included in the present review. Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), Biodentine and ferric sulphate yielded good clinical results over time and might be safely used in the pulpotomies of primary molars. Among agents, MTA seemed to be the material of choice. On the contrary, calcium hydroxide showed the worst clinical performance. Although clinically successful, formocreosol should be replaced by other materials, due to its potential cytotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Conclusion: MTA seemed to be the gold standard material in the pulpotomy of primary teeth. Promising results were also provided by calcium silicate-based cements. Further randomized clinical trials (RCTs) with adequate sample sizes and long follow-ups are encouraged to support these outcomes. deciduous or young permanent teeth with immature roots affected by caries and without evidence of radicular pathology [7,8]. Nowadays, treatment options of VPT are represented by indirect pulp treatment (namely indirect pulp capping), direct pulp capping and pulpotomy [7]. Although clinically successful in primary molars, direct capping is mainly recommended in the VPT of permanent young teeth [9,10] and indirect capping seems to possess a relative effectiveness when compared to pulpotomy procedures [11]. The latter provides favorable clinical survival rates over time and allows the vitality of primary teeth until their natural exfoliation, avoiding pulpectomy procedures [2]. Pulpotomy consists of elimination of the bacterial infection by the removal of the pulp in the pulp chamber; then, the decontaminated tooth is filled with a medicament [11]. The most frequently used agents are mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), Biodentine (BD), formocresol (FC), ferric sulphate (FS) and calcium hydroxide (CH). When compared, FC, FS and MTA seemed to provide significantly better clinical and radiographic results as pulpotomy agents than CH after two years of follow-up; moreover, MTA showed the best performance in respect to FC and FS over time [12]. Accordingly, Stringhini et al. [13] reported that MTA yielded superior clinical and radiographical results in comparison to FC. On the other hand, electrosurgery and FS showed similar success to FC, whereas CH did not show positive evidence as medicament in pulpotomies of primary teeth [13]. In the same way, Asgary et al. [14] further stressed that MTA demonstrated better long-term outcomes in pulpotomy of primary molars when com...

In recent years, cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) technologies have received increasing attention in the field of biomedical applications. The aim of this article is to review the currently available literature to provide an overview of the scientific principles of CAP application, its features, functions, and its applications in systemic and oral diseases, with a specific focus on its potential in implantology. In this narrative review, PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases were searched using key words like “cold atmospheric plasma”, “argon plasma”, “helium plasma”, “air plasma”, “dental implants”, “implantology”, “peri-implantitis”, “decontamination”. In vitro studies demonstrated CAP’s potential to enhance surface colonization and osteoblast activity and to accelerate mineralization, as well as to determine a clean surface with cell growth comparable to the sterile control on both titanium and zirconia surfaces. The effect of CAP on biofilm removal was revealed in comparative studies to the currently available decontamination modalities (laser, air abrasion, and chlorhexidine). The combination of mechanical treatments and CAP resulted in synergistic antimicrobial effects and surface improvement, indicating that it may play a central role in surface “rejuvenation” and offer a novel approach for the treatment of peri-implantitis. It is noteworthy that the CAP conditioning of implant surfaces leads to an improvement in osseointegration in in vivo animal studies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review of the literature providing a summary of the current state of the art of this emerging field in implantology and it could represent a point of reference for basic researchers and clinicians interested in approaching and testing new technologies.