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Background: This randomized, controlled clinical trial aimed to compare the differences in periodontal clinical outcomes, duration of the procedure, and patient's experience between conventional scaling and root planing and erbium-doped: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) in the treatment of generalized moderate to severe chronic periodontitis or generalized Stages II or III, and Grade B periodontitis based on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), and European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) definitions.Methods: Thirty subjects were initially recruited. In a split-mouth fashion, right and left sides were randomly allocated into two treatment arms: conventional scaling and root planing (C-SRP) versus laser-assisted scaling and root planing (L-SRP). A blinded examiner recorded clinical measurements at baseline and 3 months. Duration of the procedure was also recorded for each visit, and the patient's experience was assessed with a questionnaire at baseline, 1, and 3 months.Results: The final sample consisted of 26 subjects. Both treatments resulted in overall improvement, but no significant differences were found between modalities for clinical attachment gain or probing depth reduction. The duration of the procedure was approximately half for L-SRP, and postoperative sensitivity was greater in C-SRP.Conclusions: The low-energy protocol with Er:YAG (50 mJ) used for the non-surgical treatment of moderate-severe chronic or Stage II-III, Grade B periodontitis performed in this study population was a treatment modality that yielded similar clinical improvements when compared to conventional scaling and root planing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthodontic extrusion or forced eruption has been a treatment modality used to improve future implant sites. A controlled force exerted on a tooth in a coronal direction can enhance both soft-and hard-tissue dimensions of implant recipient sites. However, this seemingly simple and effective treatment may, in fact, result in the loss of bone rather than gain if orthodontic mechanics are used improperly. Such unfavorable outcomes have been discussed in the literature along with various proposed techniques to overcome these poor results. This article is intended to evaluate these techniques and their results by elucidating possible reasons for complications in orthodontic extrusion cases. Also, mechanical aspects of orthodontic extrusion, such as various methods of bracket positioning and wire usage, will be discussed through a report of three clinical cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic sclerosis (Scleroderma) is an autoimmune or connective tissue disorder that is characterized by fibrosis of skin, muscles, blood vessels, and other organs such as lungs, kidney and gastrointestinal tract. Scleroderma mainly affects women between the ages of 30 to 50 years and has shown to affect facial and oral structures, such as salivary glands, taste buds, jaw, teeth and periodontium. It can cause limited mouth opening (microstomia), dry mouth (xerostomia), malocclusion, mouth sores, mouth stiffness, jaw pain, periodontal diseases, and tooth loss. This paper reports on the effect of scleroderma on the periodontium of a 39-year-old female. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]