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Purpose: Edentulism usually leads to esthetic, functional, and emotional discomfort resulting in a loss of self-esteem and a decrease of the patient’s quality of life. Dental implants provide new possibilities to ensure the comfort and efficacy of prosthetic rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the satisfaction level of patients rehabilitated using the Branemark protocol or overdenture implant-supported prostheses. Materials and Methods: Fifty-two patients were rehabilitated using the Branemark protocol and 23 using overdenture prostheses. Then, an adapted oral health-related quality of life questionnaire was administered in addition to a clinical exam to determine the condition of the dental implants and prostheses. The results for treatment expectation, understanding of the type of treatment, phonetic function, chewing comfort, pain, and self-esteem improvement were analyzed with Fisher exact test (P < .05). Results: Both treatments presented satisfaction of above 87%, with no statistical difference between them. Eighty-two percent of patients treated with overdenture prostheses and 80.8% of those treated with the Branemark protocol had no complaint of pain (P = .087). Conclusion: The treatments analyzed in this study were highly satisfactory with regard to functional and esthetic factors, resulting in an increase in self-esteem and quality of life. The psychological factor is a complex variable in patient satisfaction that directly influences quality of life. Considering the desires of patients in choosing the type of prosthesis is critical to treatment success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the alterations of the buccolingual width of the alveolar ridge after immediate implant placement using a fully synthetic biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) consisting of a mixture of 60% hydroxyapatite and 40% β-tricalcium phosphate in esthetic regions. Materials and Methods: The buccolingual widths of the alveolar ridge in 20 extraction sites in 20 patients were assessed using computed tomography. Measurements were performed before and 6 months after extractions and immediate implant placement. In group 1 (11 patients), BCP was in the space between the buccal wall of the alveolar ridge and implant. In group 2 (9 patients), the same evaluations and procedures were performed but without using BCP. Results: The buccolingual dimensions of the alveolar ridge in group 1 (BCP) showed no significant preoperative differences (8.49 ± 1.1 mm) during the 6-month period after surgery (8.82 ± 0.9 mm) (P = .14). In group 2, the differences in buccolingual dimensions of the alveolar ridge were statistically significant (P = .01) with reduction in dimensions from 8.12 ± 0.7 mm during the preoperative period to 7.01 ± 0.4 mm 6-months after surgery. Conclusion: The use of BCP was effective in preserving buccolingual dimensions of alveolar ridges in immediate implant surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: To compare the tensile strength and marginal leakage of prefabricated abutments/copings, with or without surface sandblasting with aluminum oxide, luted with a calcium hydroxide-based temporary cement (CH, Dycal; Dentsply, Petropolis, RJ, Brazil) or a noneugenol zinc oxide cement (ZO, Temp Bond NE; Kerr, Orange, CA). Materials and Methods: A total of 48 CeraOne abutment analogs and respective copings were divided into 6 groups (n = 8) according to the component that was sandblasted: the coping only, coping + abutment or no sandblasting and the temporary cement used: CH or ZO. After cementation, the samples underwent 500 thermal cycles (5°C ± 2°C and 55° C ± 2°C) and were subsequently immersed in an aqueous solution of 0.5% basic fuchsine dye for 24 hours. Next, the tensile test was performed and microleakage was assessed qualitatively. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis tests, followed by the Student-Newman- Keuls test (α = 0.05). Results: CH cement showed a tensile strength (245.6 N) significantly higher than that of the ZO (18.1 N). Sandblasting both abutment and coping increased tensile strength by 1.7 times. Marginal leakage was not influenced by sandblasting; however, CH presented less microleakage. Conclusion: Aluminum oxide sandblasting of the coping and abutment favored the tensile strength of temporary cements and the CH showed a higher tensile strength and less microleakage than did the ZO cement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigates on the relation of cigarette smoking in the bioavailability of metronidazole in plasma and saliva. The study was conducted to 13 nonsmokers who received single oral dose of 750 milligrams of metronidazole and used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to quantify the concentrates of metronidazole in plasma and saliva. The study reveals reduction in plasma concentration in smokers compared nonsmokers.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between the composition of the subgingival microbiota and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism in Brazilian adults with chronic periodontitis. The clinical parameters of probing depth, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing, plaque accumulation and suppuration were measured in 60 Caucasian adults who were divided into two groups: 30 healthy individuals (control) and 30 with chronic periodontitis (ChP). Subgingival plaque samples were collected from 6 sites per subject and analyzed for 38 bacterial species using the Checkerboard DNA-DNA Hybridization. DNA was obtained from the subjects' epithelial cells by scraping the buccal mucosa and using a mouthwash containing 3% of glucose. Polymorphism in the VDR gene was analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by Taql digestion (RFLP). The healthy subjects presented significantly lower levels (0.3 × 107 ± 0.7 × 107) of total microbial counts in comparison with subjects with chronic periodontitis (4.5 × 107 ± 2.9 × 107). Regarding the occurrence of VDR polymorphism, it was observed that the Tt genotype was more prevalent in the Periodontitis group (60%) than in the Healthy group (30%), while the prevalences of the TT genotype were 23.3% and 53.3%, respectively (Chi-square test, p < 0.05). No difference was found in the composition of subgingival microbiota among the VDR genotypes evaluated for the Healthy and Periodontitis groups. In conclusion, the Tt genotype was associated with periodontal disease; however, no association with the subgingival microbiota was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and periodontitis (PD) are serious public-health concerns. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble steroid hormone that interacts with its nuclear receptor (VDR) to regulate a variety of biological processes, such as bone metabolism, immune response modulation and transcription of several genes involved in CKD and PD disease mechanisms. The aim of this work was to investigate the association between polymorphisms in the VDR gene and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and PD. Methods: 222 subjects with and without ESRD (in hemodialysis) were divided into groups with and without PD. Polymorphisms TaqI and BsmI in the VDR gene were analyzed by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism. The significance of differences in allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies between groups was assessed by the χ2 test (p value <0.05) and odds ratio (OR). Results: Allele G was associated with protection against ESRD: groups without versus with ESRD (GG) × (GA+AA): OR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.4-4.6, p = 0.00; (G × A): OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0-2.3, p = 0.02; (TG + CG) × (TA + CA): OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0-2.3, p = 0.02. No association was observed between the study polymorphisms and susceptibility to or protection against PD. Conclusion: Allele G of the VDR BsmI polymorphism was associated with protection against ESRD. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]