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Background The available treatment options fail to provide definitive or curative management for bruxer patients rehabilitated with implant overdentures (OD). The data regarding Botulinum toxin (BTX) injection as a management strategy for bruxism remains unclear. This randomized, single-blinded, control-group, pretest–posttest prospective trial evaluated the occlusal guard and Botox injections (BTX) effectiveness in managing sleep bruxism (SB) in subjects whose one of the edentulous arches had been restored with the implant-supported OD. Methods Forty-two patients diagnosed with definite bruxism were selected, all of which had implant-retained ODs opposing natural dentition. The participants were allocated randomly to three equal groups. Participants in group I (control group) were instructed to remove the OD at night; group II was managed with conventional occlusal stents. Those in group III were given BTX injections. New ODs were constructed for all groups, and all ball attachments were replaced with a new nylon cap. A baseline assessment (one month of OD insertion) of patient satisfaction and sleep quality was conducted, and then again at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment. Subjective sleep quality was evaluated using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Patients’ satisfaction was evaluated using Temporomandibular disorders/numeric scales (TMD/NS). Prosthodontic (mechanical) complications were recorded during the follow-up period. Results Group III showed a statistically significant improvement in patient satisfaction and sleep quality compared to the other two groups at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months follow-up period (P = 0 0.001, 0.0001, 0.0013, and 0.0001 respectively). Regarding prosthodontic (mechanical) complications, the highest number of events was revealed in the control group. Conclusions BTX and occlusal appliances effectively improve patient satisfaction and sleep quality of Bruxer patients rehabilitated with single arch implant overdentures.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Saliva in the Diagnosis of COVID-19: A Review and New Research Directions. Fernandes LL, Pacheco VB, Borges L et al. Journal of Dental Research. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034520960070 . Source of Funding Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein and Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul , Sao Paulo, Brazil. The authors have no actual or potential conflicts of interest. Type of Study/Design Systematic review.

Statement of problem Data on the oral cancer screening skills and beliefs of prosthodontists practicing in Saudi Arabia are lacking. Purpose The purpose of this survey was to assess the beliefs, experiences, and practices of prosthodontists practicing in Saudi Arabia regarding the early detection of oral cancer and potentially malignant disorders. Material and methods A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted on prosthodontists practicing in Saudi Arabia. A 26-item questionnaire was sent to all eligible prosthodontists (N=250). The collected data were analyzed with a statistical software program. Results The response rate was 57.2% (N=143). The majority of participants (79%) reported that they routinely examined all new patients for mucosal pathologies. However, only 58% reported that they examine their patients at recall visits, and only 61.5% stated that they provide tobacco use or smoking cessation advice. With regard to the respondents’ experiences with suspicious mucosal lesions, the majority said that they had detected a suspicious lesion (79.7%) and had referred affected patients (83.2%) during their career. Most prosthodontists (65%) believed that they were able to detect oral cancer on their own, and 40% believed that they could influence their patients to stop smoking. A lack of training, confidence, time, and financial incentives were reported as barriers to oral cancer screening. Conclusions Most of the prosthodontists surveyed in this study appeared motivated to perform routine oral mucosal screening. However, more efforts are needed to help improve the attitudes, confidence, and skills of prosthodontists when it comes to identifying and referring suspicious oral mucosal lesions.

Statement of problem Evidence relating to the choice of materials for single implant-supported crowns is sparse. Purpose The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess articles that compared the clinical performance of ceramic and metal-ceramic (MC) implant-supported single crowns with regard to prosthesis failure, complication rate, and patient satisfaction. Material and methods A comprehensive search of databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) was performed. The last search was conducted in December 2019. Randomized clinical trials comparing ceramic and MC implant-supported single crowns with at least a 12-month follow-up were included, all of which were published in English. The pooled effects were presented as both a risk difference (RD) and mean difference according to the type of data with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Seven randomized clinical trials fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled data did not show any statistically significant differences concerning prosthesis failure (RD: 0.000, 95% CI: -0.05 to 0.06), marginal bone loss (mean difference [MD]: -0.02, 95% CI: -0.75 to 0.35), mechanical complications (RD: -0.06, 95% CI: -0.18 to 0.07), biological complications (RD: 0.02, 95% CI: -0.07 to 0.11), or patient satisfaction (MD: 4.86, 95% CI: -2.86 to 12.58). Conclusions Ceramic and MC crowns had similar outcomes with regard to prosthesis failure, mechanical and biological complication rates, and patient satisfaction. As a result, the selection of single implant crown material depends on the preference of the dentist and patient.

Background: Age is known to be a risk factor for oral cancer; older patients visit prosthodontists very regularly, so the prosthodontists may help in the prevention and early detection of any suspicious mucosal alteration in this high-risk group. The aim of this study was to assess the beliefs, experiences and practices of prosthodontists regarding oral cancer screening. Method: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted on prosthodontists practicing in Saudi Arabia. A 26-item questionnaire was sent to all eligible prosthodontists (n=250). The collected data was analyzed using SPSS 21.0. Results: The response rate was 57.2% (n=143). The majority of participants (79.70%) reported that they routinely examine all new patients for mucosal pathologies. However, only 58% reported that they examine their patients at recall visits, and only 61.5% stated that they provide tobacco cessation advice. With regard to the respondents experiences with suspicious mucosal lesions, the majority said that they had detected a suspicious lesion (79.9%) and had referred affected patients (83.2 %) during their career. Unfortunately, just 65% of prosthodontists believed that they could detect oral cancer on their own, and only 40% believed that they could influence their patients to quit smoking. A lack of training, confidence, time and financial incentives were reported as barriers to oral cancer screening. Conclusion: Most of the prosthostontists surveyed in this study seem motivated to perform routine oral mucosal screening. However, more efforts are needed to help improve the attidtudes, confidence and skills of prosthodontists when it comes to identifying and referring suspicious oral mucosal lesions.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information What is the optimal number of implants for removable reconstructions? A systematic review on implant-supported overdentures. Roccuzzo M, Bonino F, Gaudioso L, Zwahlen M, Meijer HJ . Clin Oral Implant Res 2012;23.s6:229-37. Type of Study/Design Systematic review with meta-analysis of data

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Influences of micro-gap and micromotion of the implant-abutment interface on marginal bone loss around implant neck. Liu Y, Wang J. Arch Oral Biol 2017;83:153-60. Source of Funding This study was financially supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81570956) and the Bureau of Science and Technology of Wuhan ([2014]160, 2015060101010051) Type of Study/Design Comprehensive literature review

Treatment options for TMD include reassurance (patient education, self-care and behavior therapy), physiotherapy (such as ultrasound, acupuncture, short wave diathermy laser, heat exercises, and biofeedback), occlusal splint therapy, drug therapy, occlusal adjustment, surgical intervention and combined treatment. The purpose of this paper was to review information regarding the types, designs, and materials of occlusal appliances. In this review article, authors reviewed the literature concerning Occlusal Splint in Management of Temporomandibular disorders (TMD).