Methods -Utilizing a research data bank containing information from 1450 orthodontically treated patients, pre-and post-treatment radiographs from 460 individuals were evaluated for EARR of the four permanent maxillary incisors. Sixty-seven unrelated Caucasians with moderate to severe EARR were identified and were age-/sex-matched with orthodontically treated Caucasian controls yielding 38 females and 29 males per group. Factors tested for an association with EARR included the following: 1) treatment duration, 2) extraction of maxillary premolars, 3) numerous cephalometric measurements, and 4) DNA polymorphisms within/near candidate genes in a pathway previously implicated in EARR such as the purinergic-receptor-P2X, ligand-gated ion channel 7 (P2RX7; rs208294, rs1718119, and rs2230912), caspase-1 (CASP1; rs530537, rs580253, and rs554344), interleukin-1 beta (IL1B; rs1143634), Results -A long length of treatment and the presence of specific genotypes for P2RX7 SNP rs208294 were significantly associated with EARR.Conclusion -EARR occurrence was associated with both genetic and treatment-related variables, which together explained 25% of the total variation associated with EARR in the sample tested.

Objective The primary objective of this research was to develop a poly( l ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) scaffold and evaluate critical characteristics essential for its biologic use as a craniofacial implant. Materials and Methods PLLA scaffolds were designed and fabricated using fused deposition modeling technology. The surface morphology and microarchitecture were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microCT, respectively. Crystallography, compressive modulus, and the piezoelectric potential generated upon mechanical distortion were characterized. Hydrolytic degradation was studied. MG63 osteoblast‐like cell proliferation and morphology were assessed. Results The porosity of the scaffolds was 73%, with an average pore size of 450 µm and an average scaffold fiber thickness of 130 µm. The average compressive modulus was 244 MPa, and the scaffolds generated an electric potential of 25 mV upon cyclic/repeated loading. The crystallinity reduced from 27.5% to 13.9% during the 3D printing process. The hydrolytic degradation was minimal during a 12‐week period. Osteoblast‐like cells did not attach to the uncoated scaffold but attached well after coating the scaffold with fibrinogen. They then proliferated to cover the complete scaffold by Day 14. Conclusion The PLLA scaffolds were designed and printed, proving the feasibility of 3D printing as a method of fabricating PLLA scaffolds. The elastic modulus was comparable to that of trabecular bone, and the piezoelectric properties of the PLLA were retained after 3D printing. The scaffolds were cytocompatible. These 3D‐printed PLLA scaffolds showed promising properties akin to the natural bone, and they warrant further investigation for bone regeneration.

Background Pre-dental students’ perception and awareness about current technology in dentistry can influence their motivation and maturity during the learning experience and affect their dental education outcome. This observational survey aimed to examine pre-dental student's cognitive and behavioral traits as perception measures toward digital dentistry. The survey covered areas that the authors believed to impact dental education and future investments in institutional decision making. The survey was distributed over all pre-dental students representing two US dental schools in the state of Kentucky. The survey included four main categories: (1) career vision, (2) perception of digital dentistry, (3) prior knowledge of digital dentistry, and (4) personal intelligence. Results The feedback was positive toward the future use of digital dentistry. The findings are discussed in light of the implications of pre-dental students' perception to support teaching and learning in dental education. Conclusions Despite the expected enthusiasm of pre-dental students toward digital technology, the results highlight the need to emphasize structured self-learning, self-evaluation, and a deeper understanding of research within the dental curricula.

In periodontitis and peri-implantitis, plaque-forming microorganisms develop biofilms in which the microbes become protected from washing and antibiotics. While the antibiotics often become partially ineffective and traditional scaling to implant surface becomes challenging on such biofilm, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) can be a useful option against these protected microorganisms. In this investigation, a unique combination of PDT and water rinsing force representing physical removal (using jet impingement techniques) were applied to biofilms of Streptococcus mutans (ATCC strain 27351) grown on commercially pure titanium (Ti). The experiment examined the force required to detach a biofilm (shear stress) as a way to determine changes in the biofilm's attachment strength after applying PDT. Colony-forming-unit (CFU) counts and Alamar Blue (A.B.) assays were used to measure the vitality and metabolism of the bacteria before and after the treatment. Multiple Attenuated Internal Reflection Infrared (MAIR-IR) spectra of identical biofilms grown on germanium prisms having surface properties similar to those of Ti were used to test differences in biofilm removal susceptibility. Using independent samples t-test, PDT-treated biofilms were significantly (p<0.05) more susceptible to removal from their substrata by water-jet impingement forces in comparison to the untreated biofilms. Varying thicknesses of untreated control biofilms required more shear stress (144 and 228 dynes/cm²) to delaminate from titanium surfaces when compared to less shear stress (90 to 140 dynes/cm²) required to removed PDT-treated companion biofilms. Moreover, an exopolymer matrix of polysaccharide (P.S.s) within layers of biofilm required less shear stress when compared to the force needed to detach biofilm from substrata. However, also needing further less force for treated biofilm (between 39 and 51 dynes/cm²) and (57 and 68 dynes/cm²) for PDT treated and control, respectively. Multiple Attenuated Internal Reflection Infrared (MAIR-IR) results confirmed the superiority of PDT-induced removal, predominantly of the protective polysaccharide part of the biofilm. These results suggest that PDT can weaken biofilms at different levels of maturity, allowing easier detachment using simple rinsing forces, which has promising future application in the dental practice where traditional scaling of implant surfaces is challenging.

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The purpose of this case report is to present implant-retained maxillary and mandibular complete overdentures in a patient with Marfan syndrome. The patient initially presented with generalized periodontitis (stage IV, grade C). Due to the progressive nature of periodontal disease, the patient elected to have implant-retained maxillary and mandibular complete dentures. Bilateral maxillary sinus augmentation was performed 6 months before full-mouth extraction, alveoloplasty, and immediate implant placement. Maxillary and mandibular immediate overdentures were delivered. After 4 months of healing, the final overdenture was fabricated. The patient was seen regularly throughout the healing process for peri-implant maintenance. Soft-tissue grafts were completed to increase the thickness of the mucosa around the implants. The patient has been followed for 2 years and is functioning well without major complications. For patients with Marfan syndrome, implant-retained prostheses are a viable treatment option in the presence of a failing dentition.

Complete denture fabrication requires multiple clinical and laboratory steps. One of the most critical clinical steps is establishing an anatomical occlusal plane based on hard and soft tissue references. The aim of this study was to determine whether age or gender affects the level of the Ala-Tragus plane to establish which reference point on the Tragus should be used when fabricating the occlusal plane in edentulous patients. Clinical photographs and lateral cephalometric radiographs with complete dentitions were taken from 58 volunteers at the DMD clinic at the University of Kentucky. Each photograph was superimposed over its corresponding cephalometric image. An analysis was conducted to establish the angle of the occlusal plane relative to the Ala-Tragus landmarks; this data was then grouped according to age and gender. The analysis shows that age and gender did not significantly affect where the Camper’s plane should be approximated for complete denture treatment. However, it was found that the most parallel line to the occlusal plane was Ala’s inferior border to the ‘Tragus’s inferior border. It should be noted that the volunteers’ skeletal classification was significantly related to a Cl III malocclusion tendency. Still, with this new information, functionality and esthetics can be more adequately addressed for patients undergoing complete denture treatment. Given our results, we suggest redefining the ‘Camper’s plane with a line extending from ‘Ala’s inferior border to the ‘Tragus’s inferior border instead of the superior border. Further consideration should be taken if the patient is a skeletal CL III malocclusion.