The objective was to compare the efficiency of probiotic (PT) versus antibiotic therapy (AT) as adjuvants to non-surgical-mechanical debridement (NSMD) in the treatment of peri-implant mucositis (Pi-M). Volunteers with Pi-M were encompassed. Therapeutically, patients were randomly divided into 3-groups: (a) Group-1: NSMD + PT; (b) Group-2: NSMD + AT; and (c) Group-3: NSMD alone. Peri-implant plaque index (P.I), bleeding on probing (B.O.P), probing depth (P.D) and crestal-bone-loss (C.B.L) were recorded at baseline and at 3-and 6-months follow-up. P<0.05 was selected as the indicator of statistical significance. Forty-two male individuals (14, 14 and 14 in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively) were included. At 3- and 6-months of follow-up, P.I (P<0.01), B.O.P (P<0.01) and P.D (P<0.01) were higher in Group-2 than Group-1. At 3-months of follow-up, P.I (P<0.01), B.O.P (P<0.01) and P.D (P<0.01) were higher in Group-3 than Group-2. At 6-months of follow-up, P.I, B.O.P and P.D were comparable in groups 2 and 3. In Group-3, P.I, B.O.P and P.D were comparable with the respective baseline values at 6-months of follow-up. The C.B.L in all groups remained unchanged up to 6-months of follow-up. The NSMD with adjuvant PT is more effective than adjunct AT in the treatment of Pi-M for up to 3-months.

No abstract

Since the 1980s, titanium (Ti) implants have been routinely used to replace missing teeth. This success is mainly due to the good biocompatibility of Ti and the phenomenon of osseointegration, with very early events at implant placement being important in determining good osseointegration. However, enhancing implant performance with coatings such as hydroxyapatite (HA) and calcium phosphate has proved largely unsuccessful. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are the first osteogenic cells to colonise implant surfaces and offer a target for enhancing osseointegration. We previously reported that small doses of bisphosphonate (BP) may play an integral role in enhancing hMSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. The aim of this study is to investigate whether small doses of bisphosphonates enhance proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs on Ti surfaces, to enhance bone osseointegration and to accelerate wound healing around the implant surface. Our data suggests that treating cells with small doses of BP (100 nM & 10 nM) induces significant hMSC stimulation of osteogenic markers including calcium, collagen type I and ALP compared to control group on titanium surfaces (P < 0.05). In addition, cell proliferation and migration were significantly enhanced on titanium surfaces (P < 0.05).

Dental professionals have a major role in the fight against the spread and transmission of COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate awareness and practice of dentists in Saudi Arabia regarding COVID-19 and the utilization of infection control methods. A 24-item questionnaire was developed and distributed through social media to 627 dentists working in Saudi Arabia. 177 questionnaires were completed (28.2% response rate). Most dentists were aware about the transmission, incubation time and main clinical symptoms of COVID-19. Almost 83% of the respondents appreciate the risk of droplets, aerosols and airborne particles in transmission of COVID-19 in the dental clinic. Among the common practices of participants are measuring patient’s body temperature before undertaking a dental treatment (88.7%), cleaning the environmental surfaces at the dental clinic after each patient (91.5%) and restriction of dental treatment to emergency cases (82.5%). It seems that practicing dentists in Saudi Arabia are fairly aware about COVID-19. The practices of the surveyed dentists appear to be mostly consistent with the current guidelines and recommendations for infection control of COVID-19 in the dental clinic. Some drawbacks in knowledge and a number of inappropriate practices can be identified and require the attention of health authorities.