Placement of short implants is a common approach to rehabilitate edentulous areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term survival of 7.0- and 8.5-mm implants placed in either a delayed or immediate loading protocol. Life table analysis revealed the implants treated with the delayed loading protocol had a 90.9% survival rate and the implants treated with the immediate loading protocol had a survival rate of 92.0%. The results of this 8-year prospective study demonstrate similar survival rates of short, cylindrical threaded implants placed by either a delayed or immediate loading protocol.

Treatments for enhancing surface energy were studied in an effort to create a more favorable environment for cell adhesion. Cold argon plasma (CAP) is able to improve titanium-cell contact, producing hydrophilic surfaces with higher wettability. The aim of this in vitro study was to estimate the early cell morphology after CAP treatment of different commercially available titanium surfaces. Surface wettability was significantly augmented in all the treated samples. The authors investigated how CAP affected the behavior of osteoblasts by evaluating the cell morphology outcome. Cell surface areas differed in a statistically significant way when plasma-treated samples were compared to the untreated ones. The positive effect of CAP was shown on smooth, moderately rough, and rough implant surfaces.

Ziele: Das Ziel dieser laufenden prospektiven Studie war es, die 6-Jahres-Überlebensraten von kurzen Implantaten mit poröser Oberfläche im atrophierten Oberkieferseitenzahngebiet, bei denen vorab bei Bedarf eine krestale Sinusbodenelevation mittels Osteotomen und mit autologem Knochen bzw. mit zusätzlichem Xenotransplantat (deproteinisierter boviner Knochen) erfolgte, zu bestimmen. Material und Methoden: Bei 87 teilbezahnten Patienten wurden insgesamt 110 kurze Implantate mit poröser Oberfläche inseriert. Es wurden zumeist zwei verschiedene Implantatlängen (5 und 7 mm) und zwei unterschiedliche Durchmesser (4,1 und 5 mm) verwendet; die Auswahl erfolgte nach der verfügbaren Höhe und Breite an krestalem Knochen. In 47 Fällen wurde eine Sinusbodenanhebung mittels Osteotomtechnik vorgenommen. (In 8 Fällen wurde der basale Knochen verdichtet, in 39 Fällen ein Xenotransplantat eingebracht.) Die Einheilungszeit bis zur Belastung betrug 6 Monate. 63 Implantate wurden mit Einzelzahnkronen versorgt, 47 Implantate wurden mit Nachbarimplantaten verblockt. Untersucht wurde auf Prothesenlockerungen, Implantatverluste und Komplikationen. Ergebnisse: Nach 6-jähriger Nachbeobachtungsdauer schied ein Patient aus der Studie aus (mit einem Implantat mit Einzelzahnversorgung). Bei 11 Patienten wurden insgesamt 11 Implantate entfernt: 2 bei der Freilegung und 9 nach der prothetischen Versorgung. In 6 Fällen kam es zu einer Prothesenlockerung (bei Implantaten mit Einzelzahnkronen). Es kam zu einer chirurgischen Komplikation (Membranperforation), wobei das Implantat regulär inseriert wurde. Während der Einheilungszeit kam es nicht zu Komplikationen. Bei 3 Patienten kam es zu einer schweren Periimplantitis nach Eingliederung der Prothese und die Implantate mussten entfernt werden. Am Ende der 6-jährigen Nachbeobachtungsdauer betrug die Überlebensrate der Implantate 89,9 % und die der prothetischen Versorgungen 91,2 %. Schlussfolgerungen: Die klinischen Ergebnisse für die Anwendung kurzer Implantate mit poröser Oberfläche zur Behandlung des Oberkieferseitenzahngebiets waren in diesem Zwischenbericht nach 6 Jahren akzeptabel. Diese vorläufigen Ergebnisse müssen noch durch eine längere Nachbeobachtung bestätigt werden. Schlagwörter: Kurze Implantate, Oberkieferseitenzahngebiet, implantatgetragener Zahnersatz, Sinusbodenelevation mittels Osteotomtechnik, deproteinisierter boviner Knochen

Purpose: The aim of this ongoing prospective study was to determine the 5-year survival rate of short porous dental implants in the posterior atrophic maxilla combined, when necessary, with crestal sinus floor elevation and often adding anorganic bovine bone. Materials and methods: In 87 partially edentulous patients, 110 short porous implants were placed and followed up for 5 years. The implants used were of two lengths (5 and 7 mm) and two diameters (4.1 and 5 mm) and were chosen according to the available crestal height and width. In 47 sites, osteotome sinus floor elevation was performed (in 8 cases compacting basal bone, in 39 adding a xenograft). The unloaded healing period was 6 months. A total of 63 implants were restored with single crowns and 47 were splinted to the adjacent implants. Outcome measures were prosthesis and implant failures, any complications, and peri-implant marginal bone resorption. Results: Five years after loading, no patients dropped out. Eleven implants failed: 2 implants at uncovering and 9 after prosthetic loading. Eleven patients (12.6%) lost 1 implant. In 6 patients (6.9%) a prosthesis failure occurred (implants loaded with single crowns). One surgical complication (membrane perforation) occurred but the implant was normally inserted. No complications occurred during the healing period. In 3 patients, severe peri-implantitis occurred post loading and the implants had to be removed. Two abutments became loose and one crown chipped. At the end of the follow-up period the implant survival rate was 90%, and 93.1% with regard to prosthetic reconstruction. The mean peri-implant marginal bone loss was 1.4 mm. Conclusions: The use of short porous implants showed an acceptable clinical outcome in the treatment of the posterior maxilla in this interim 5-year report. Longer follow-ups are needed to confirm these results. Schlagwörter: deproteinised bovine bone, implant prosthesis, osteotome sinus elevation, posterior maxilla, short dental implants

Purpose: The aim of this ongoing prospective study was to determine the 5-year survival rate of short porous implants in the posterior atrophic mandible. Materials and methods: In 40 partially edentulous patients, 55 short porous implants were placed. The implants used were of two lengths (5 and 7 mm) and two different diameters (4.1 and 5 mm) and were chosen according to the available crestal height and width. The unloaded healing period was 4 months. Twenty-one implants were restored with single crowns, 32 were splinted to the adjacent implant, 2 were used with an overdenture and were followed for 5 years. Outcome measures were prosthesis failures, implant failures and complications. Results: No patients dropped out. Nine implants were removed: 1 implant at uncovering and 8 after prosthetic loading. Eight patients lost 1 implant and 1 patient lost 2 implants. Four crowns failed. No complications occurred during the healing period. In 2 patients severe peri-implantitis occurred after loading and the implants had to be removed. At the end of the follow-up period the survival rate was 84% at implant level and 80% at patient level. Conclusions: The use of short porous implants showed an acceptable clinical outcome in the treatment of the posterior mandible in this interim 5-year report. These preliminary results must be confirmed by longer follow-ups. Schlagwörter: implant prosthesis, posterior mandible, short dental implants

Root coverage is the goal of periodontal plastic surgery when treating gingival recessions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical results 1 year after treatment with an envelope connective tissue graft technique for single recessions. Forty consecutive patients with single recessions were treated. At baseline and 1 year after surgery, recession, probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, and keratinized tissue height were recorded. After 1 year, the mean differences in recession (3.12 ± 0.90 mm), clinical attachment level (3.92 ± 1.00 mm), keratinized tissue height (3.75 ± 0.95 mm), and probing pocket depth (0.50 ± 0.64 mm) were statistically significant. Mean root coverage was 95.54% ± 11.43%; 85% of the treated cases achieved complete root coverage. The envelope connective tissue graft technique showed high predictability in the treatment of single recessions.

The aim of this ongoing prospective study was to determine the 36-month survival rate of short porous implants in the posterior maxilla with 2 to 7 mm of initial bone height in 48 patients. Forty-eight implants were placed; 35 were in sites with a bone height of 5 mm or less and 13 patients required sinus elevation with osteotomes in addition to a xenograft. All implants were loaded with single crowns. At the end of the follow-up period the survival rate was 97.92%. The use of short porous implants showed good predictability in the treatment of the posterior maxilla in this interim 3-year report.

Clinicians often encounter osseous defects that are best treated by conventional surgical techniques, including bone grafting and guided tissue regeneration, with a goal of establishing a new connective tissue attachment. On occasion, the recognition of an infrabony defect proximal to a tooth with a large diastema may present an opportunity to consider resolution by orthodontic tooth movement. Ideally, the tooth could be moved in the proximal direction until there was no further radiographic or clinical evidence of the predisposing defect. The authors decided to treat an advanced case of adult periodontitis, with extrusion and migration of a maxillary central incisor, using a multidisciplinary approach. Radiologically, a large infrabony defect was present on the mesial aspect of the incisor, with an initial probing depth of 9 mm. After the surgical periodontal therapy, the orthodontic movement started and the incisor was repositioned using an intrusive mechanism, also leading to the closure of the diastema. At the end of the treatment, there was a significant clinical decrease in the probing depth values, and radiographs showed a remarkable reduction of the infrabony defect volume.

Periodontal disease can lead to migration of anterior teeth with the presence of infrabony defects. This creates the opportunity for treating such patients with a combined orthodontic-periodontic treatment. In the presented clinical case, an adult periodontal patient with extrusion of the maxillary central incisors and an infrabony defect on their lingual aspects was treated. During the surgical procedure, the bone defects were augmented with a combination of porous bovine bone mineral (Bio-Oss) and a fibrin- fibronectin sealing system (Tissucol). Ten days after surgery, the active orthodontic treatment started, and the teeth were intruded and realigned, moving the roots into the defects. After 6 months, the orthodontic appliances were removed and the teeth were retained by means of a resinbonded splint. At this time, reduction in probing pocket depth and gingival recession was detected. Twelve months after the initial surgery, a reentry procedure was performed, showing complete filling of the predisposing defects with the presence of bone-like hard tissue. These clinical results suggest that teeth can be successfully moved and intruded into bone defects previously augmented with bovine bone substitute and fibrin glue. During the orthodontic treatment, this combined augmentation material was able to be replaced by bone-like hard tissue. At the end of the therapy, an improvement in esthetics and periodontal health status was registered.

In the present study, 139 periodontally compromised patients received a complete periodontal treatment; in 104 cases this was followed by orthodontic treatment. At the end of the entire therapy, a total of 150 Maryland restorations (69 resin-bonded fixed partial dentures and 81 resin-bonded splints) was placed and then followed for a period of up to 10 years (mean 6.7 y). Thirteen fixed partial dentures and 16 splints failed during the observation period; the 10-year cumulative survival rate from lifetable analysis was 76.2% (70.6% for fixed partial dentures and 80.7% for splints).