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Purpose This systematic review was performed to compare tooth, implant and prosthesis failures and biological and technical complications in toothimplant vs freestanding implant supported fixed partial prostheses, in order to evaluate the effectiveness and predictability in combining teeth and implants in the same fixed partial prosthesis. Study selection A comprehensive and systematic literature research was conducted, according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement, to identify human trials, with a minimum sample size of 10 patients, comparing tooth-implant to freestanding implant supported fixed partial prostheses. Four groups of meta-analyses were performed based on the patients treated with toothimplant vs freestanding implant-supported fixed partial prostheses: abutment failures, biological and mechanical complications, prosthesis failures, and prosthetic (technical) complications. Results The search yielded 749 records, after removal of duplicates. Based on the title assessment, the abstracts reading and the full-texts evaluation, 8 articles, published between 1999 and 2013, fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The studies included were: 4 controlled clinical trials, 2 prospective and 2 retrospective cohort studies. The meta-analysis revealed no significant difference between tooth-implant and implant-implant supported fixed in the number of abutment (implant or tooth) failures, biological complications, prosthesis lost, and prosthetic complications. Conclusions Within the limitations of the present systematic review, although the freestanding implant supported fixed partial prosthesis remains the first choice, joining teeth and implants to support fixed prosthesis in partially edentulous patients becomes a valid alternative with an acceptable success rate.

To quantify and compare pre-operative and post-operative volumetric adjustments of the upper lip tissues in patients with cleft lip.The authors performed an anthropometric study and a quantitative analysis of the differences based on three-dimensional morphology of the nasolabial area. Twenty facial images using the three-dimensional stereophotogrammetry were taken from ten selected subjects on two separate occasions, sitting in natural head position. Facial landmarks were marked and measurements recorded, in order to calculate the volumetric adjustments in the soft tissues of the upper lip, comparing the preoperative and postoperative results. Student test and p-Value were performed for statistical analysis.The analysis of the 3D images showed variability with the pre- and postoperative volumes of the nasolabial area with: an increase of upper lip volume all patients; a complete view of the severity in the preoperative; and an improvement of the appearance in the postoperative. The amount of increase of the upper lip volume was established about 29,7%. For all measurements, the variability between pre- and post-operative was significant (p0.01).The 3D stereophotogrammetry technique allows a detailed preoperative evaluation and an accurate assessment of the surgical outcomes. The study provides a value of volumetric variation of the upper lip in individuals with cleft lip.Cleft lip, Nasolabial area, 3D Morphological Analysis, 3D Stereophotogrammetry, Upper lip volume.

The treatment of a complex case of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) with severe oligodontia.A 6 years old boy with HED, was treated with an orthodontic/prosthetic modular appliance. The device is custom made and consists of two parts, upper and lower, which were partially removable and partially fixed. The patient was prepared to receive dental implants for definitive oral rehabilitation. The treatment begun with heath-cured acrylic resin removable appliance with expansion screw in the maxilla and in the mandible. Afterwards, an innovative orthodontic/prosthetic modular appliance was made in the maxilla and in the mandible, fixed with bands on the first permanent molars, with expansion screw and telescopic screw that follow and support the resin prosthetic teeth during the orthopaedic expansion. The resin prosthetic teeth are removable from the metallic fixed structure of this appliance.The patient was followed for 10 years from the beginning of treatment.The modular appliance here described and our therapeutic approach showed to be efficient and durable in the achievement of many goals in the treatment of a complex case of HED. The objectives were not only just orthodontic, but also prosthetic and psychological.

To compare in vivo Titanium Alloy (TiA) with Stainless Steel (SS) miniscrews Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs) using removal torque and Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) analysis.15 subjects (6 males and 9 females) who required maximum anchorage were recruited. For each patient, a TiA TAD and a SS TAD with same length and width were implanted following a randomized split-mouth study design. Retraction was carried out with nickel-titanium spring ligated directly from the anterior hooks of the archwire to the TADs to produce 90 to 100 g of force. When no further anchorage supplementation was needed, the TADs were removed. The removal torque values were registered with a digital screwdriver. After removal, the TADs were collected in a fixed solution and examined using SEM and X-ray microanalysis.All TADs remained intact, with a 100% success rate. There was no difference in removal torque between TiA and SS miniscrews (4.4 ± 1.3 N-cm and 5.1 ± 0.7 N-cm, respectively). All specimens' loss of gloss with signs of biological contaminations resulted in a dull implant surface. SEM photomicrographs of TiA miniscrews showed predominantly blood cells while SS miniscrews showed the precipitation of an amorphous layer with low cellular component. There was no difference in spectroscopic analysis between TiA and SS miniscrews.TiA and SS miniscrews had comparable removal torque values. SEM photomicrographs showed no evidence of osseointegration with both TADs having similar biological responses.

The use of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) may represent a non-invasive method to evaluate the sensory nerve function in the maxillofacial region. The aim of this work is to confirm the feasibility of a technique, previously reported in the literature, and the data previously obtained.SEPs were obtained following electrical stimulation (square wave pulses 0.2 millisecond [ms] in duration, 4 to 6.5 mA, 0.7/second repetition rate, 200 averages) of the gum at the mental foramen level, in the IAN region, via a new designed type of intraoral surface electrodes and recorded from the contralateral central scalp sites.We recognized waveforms of sufficient quality and consistently recorded a "W"-shaped response. Peak latencies of waves were at 14, 20, 27, 34 and 43 ms respectively. One side of the lower lip can be compared with the contralateral side.IAN SEPs, obtained with the present technique, may represent an objective, non-invasive, and reliable way of testing sensory nerve function in the maxillofacial region.

In the present study, we show that the heterogeneous mixture of glycoforms of the basic salivary proline-rich protein 3M, encoded by PRB3-M locus, is a major component of the acidic soluble fraction of human whole saliva in the first years of life. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis of the intact proteoforms before and after N-deglycosylation with Peptide-N-Glycosidase F and tandem mass spectrometry sequencing of peptides obtained after Endoproteinase GluC digestion allowed the structural characterization of the peptide backbone and identification of N- and O-glycosylation sites. The heterogeneous mixture of the proteoforms derives from the combination of 8 different neutral and sialylated glycans O-linked to Threonine 50, and 33 different glycans N-linked to Asparagine residues at positions 66, 87, 108, 129, 150, 171, 192, and 213.