Aim To assess the long‐term effectiveness (≥5 years) of maxillary sinus floor augmentation (MSFA) procedures applying the lateral window technique and to determine possible differences in outcome between simultaneous and delayed implant placement, partially and fully edentulous patients and grafting procedures. Materials and methods MEDLINE (1950–May 2018), EMBASE (1966–May 2018) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1800–May 2018) were searched. Inclusion criteria were prospective studies with follow‐up ≥5 years and a residual bone height ≤6 mm. Outcome measures included implant loss, peri‐implant bone level change, suprastructure survival, patient‐reported outcome measures and overall complications. Data were pooled and analysed using a random effects model. Results Out of 2,873 selected articles, 11 studies fulfilled all inclusion criteria. Meta‐analysis revealed a weighted annual implant loss of 0.43% (95% CI: 0.37%–0.49%). Meta‐regression analysis did not reveal significant differences in implant loss neither between edentulous and dentate patients nor implants placed simultaneously with or delayed after MSFA, nor implants placed in MSFA using solely autologous bone or bone substitutes. The results of the other outcome measures were favourable, and overall complications were low. Conclusion MSFA is a reliable procedure in the partially and fully edentulous maxilla for support of dental implants.

Aims: Attitudes of dentists and dental hygienists towards extended scope and independent dental hygiene practice are described in several studies, but the results are heterogenous. The purpose of this systematic review was to compare the attitudes of dentists and dental hygienists towards extended scope and independent dental hygiene practice. Methods: PubMed, AMED and CINAHL were screened by two independent assessors to identify relevant studies. Only quantitative studies that reported the percentages of dentists' and dental hygienists' attitude towards extended scope and independent dental hygiene practice were included. The random-effects model was used to synthesise possible heterogenous influences. Results: Meta proportions with regard to a positive attitude towards extended scope of practice are 0.54 for dentists and 0.81 for dental hygienists. Meta proportions of a positive attitude towards independent practice are 0.14 for dentists and 0.59 for dental hygienists. A meta analysis with regard to negative attitudes could only be performed on extended scope of practice and did not reveal a difference between the two professions. We obtained homogeneous outcomes of the studies included regarding negative attitudes of dentists . A minority of dentists hold negative attitudes towards extended scope of dental hygiene practice. Study outcomes regarding negative attitudes of dental hygienists were heterogeneous. Conclusions: Positive attitudes are present among a majority of dentists and dental hygienists with regard to extended scope of dental hygiene practice, while for independent dental hygiene practice this holds for a minority of dentists and a majority of dental hygienists.

Background: Templates aim to facilitate implant placement in the prosthetically preferred position. Mucosasupported and bone-supported templates are commonly used in the edentulous maxilla. In the atrophic maxilla (Cawood V and VI), however, these templates can be easily displaced due to a lack of supportive tissues, even in cases where anterior sites offer sufficient bone for implant placement. To assist in positioning and stabilisation, we designed a template that utilises the nasal aperture as a fulcrum to create a forced and exclusive fit. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical usability of the developed template and the corresponding implant placement accuracy in patients with edentulous atrophic maxillae. Deviations between planned and placed implant positions were measured by aligning pre-and post-operative cone beam computed tomography scans. Results: Twenty-four implants were placed in 11 patients. One template did not fit properly due to a slight undercut. All implants could be placed with good primary stability. The implants had high accuracy at the implant shoulder (global deviation 1.1 ± 0.5 mm, lateral deviation 0.8 ± 0.5 mm) and a mean angular deviation of 7.2 ± 3.4°. Conclusions: The developed surgical template offers stabilised and secure template placement in the edentulous atrophic maxilla, resulting in satisfying implant placement accuracy when using a semi-guided approach.