The Prognosis of Root Canal Therapy: a 20-year Follow-up Ambispective Cohort Study on 411 Patients With 1169 Endodontically Treated Teeth

PURPOSE To evaluate the 20-year prognosis of endodontically treated/re-treated teeth in a population with multiple patient/tooth/site risk factors, and to investigate the prognostic factors that could predict the long-term outcome of endodontic therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS This ambispective cohort study included patients who received primary/secondary root canal therapy from 1986 to 1998 performed by a single operator in a private practice. Outcomes measures were: tooth survival; clinical and radiographic success, as assessed by the treating clinician and an independent outcome assessor; and complications, as evaluated 20 years after treatment. Descriptive statisti-cs, life table and Cox regression analyses for survival were fitted. RESULTS Four hundred and eleven patients (59% affected by advanced periodontitis) with 1169 endodontically treated teeth were identified (703 treatment, 466 retreatment). Drop-outs at 20-year follow-up were 128 patients (31.1%) with 388 (33.2%) teeth. Forty teeth (3.4%) in 30 patients experienced endodontic complications, subsequently successfully treated. Clinical and radiographic evaluation revealed: complete clinical success in 542 teeth (69.7%), partial success in 10 (1.3%), partial failure in 75 (9.6%), and failure in 151 (19.4%) (10 extracted for endodontic reasons, 58 due to periodontitis, and 58 vertical fracture). Life table analysis revealed 86% tooth survival at 20-year follow-up. The chance of survival decreased with increasing patient age (P = 0.006). Re-treated teeth had better survival than treated teeth (P = 0.024) Canines and premolars had better chances of survival than incisors (P = 0.002 and P = 0.015, respectively). Teeth treated at two sittings (with intermediate medication) had reduced chances of survival as compared to teeth treated at one sitting (P = 0.027). Teeth treated for the first time for endodontic reasons exhibited a better chance of survival than teeth treated for periodontal and prosthetic reasons (P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS The 20-year prognosis of endodontically treated/re-treated teeth as part of multidisciplinary rehabilitation of patients affected by advanced periodontitis is good. Aging, two-stage endodontic treatment, and endodontic treatment for non-endodontic reasons are important predictors of failure

Translucent zirconia in the ceramic scenario for monolithic restorations: A flexural strength and translucency comparison test

Objective: To compare three different compositions of Yttria-Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystal (Y-TZP) ceramic and a lithium disilicate ceramic in terms of flexural strength and translucency. Methods: Three zirconia materials of different composition and translucency, Aadva ST [ST], Aadva EI [EI] and Aadva NT [NT](GC Tech, Leuven, Belgium) were cut with a slow speed diamond saw into beams and tabs in order to obtain, after sintering, dimensions of 1.2 × 4.0 × 15.0 mm and 15.0 × 15.0 × 1.0 mm respectively. Blocks of IPS e.max CAD LT were cut and crystallized in the same shapes and dimensions and used as a reference group [LD]. Beams (n = 15) were tested in a universal testing machine for three-point bending strength. Critical fracture load was recorded in N, flexural strength (σ in MPa), Weibull modulus (m) and Weibull characteristic strength (σ0 in MPa) were then calculated. Tabs (n = 10) were measured with a spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere. Contrast Ratios were calculated as CR = Yb/Yw. SEM of thermally etched samples coupled with lineal line analysis (n = 6) was used to measure the tested zirconia grain size. Data were statistically analyzed. Results: Differences in translucency, flexural strength and grain size were found to be statistically significant. CR increased and flexural strength decreased in the following order ST(σ 1215 ± 190 MPa, CR 0.74 ± 0.01) > EI(σ 983 ± 182 MPa, CR 0.69 ± 0.01) > NT(σ 539 ± 66 MPa, CR 0.65 ± 0.01) > LD (σ 377 ± 39 Mpa, CR 0.56 ± 0.02). The average grain size was different for the three zirconia samples with NT(558 ± 38 nm) > ST(445 ± 34 nm) > EI(284 ± 11 nm). Conclusions: The zirconia composition heavily influenced both the flexural strength and the translucency. Different percentages of Yittria and Alumina result in new materials with intermediate properties in between the conventional zirconia and lithium disilicate. Clinical indications for Zirconia Aadva NT should be limited up to three-unit span bridges

Atherosclerosis severity in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia: the role of T and B lymphocytes

Background and aims Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is characterized by lifelong exposure to high LDL-c concentrations and premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; nevertheless, disease severity can be heterogeneous. We aimed at evaluating if the immune-inflammatory system could modulate atherosclerosis burden in FH. Methods From a cohort of subjects with confirmed FH (Dutch Lipid Clinic Network and genotype), 92 patients receiving high-intensity lipid-lowering therapy (statin ± ezetimibe) were included. The extension and severity of coronary atherosclerosis was assessed by standardized reporting systems (CAD-RADS) for coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores. Lipids, apolipoproteins, anti-oxLDL and anti-apolipoprotein B-D peptide (anti-ApoB-D) autoantibodies (IgM and IgG), lymphocytes subtypes, platelet, monocyte and endothelial microparticles (MP), IgM levels (circulating or produced by B1 cells) and cytokines in the supernatant of cultured cells were determined. Multiple linear regression models evaluated associations of these biomarkers with CAC and CAD-RADS scores. Results In univariate analysis CAC correlated with age, systolic blood pressure, TCD4+ cells, and titers of IgM anti-ApoB-D. In multiple linear regression [ANOVA F = 2.976; p = 0.024; R2 = 0.082), CD4+T lymphocytes (B = 35.289; beta = 0.277; p = 0.010; 95%CI for B 8.727 to 61.851), was independently associated with CAC. CAD-RADS correlated with age, systolic blood pressure, titers of IgM anti-ApoB-D, and endothelial MP in univariate analysis. In multiple linear regression, [ANOVA F = 2.790; p = 0.032; R2 = 0.119), only age (B = 0.027; beta = 0.234; p = 0.049; 95% CI for B 0.000 to 0.053) was independent predictor. Conclusions In subjects with FH, under high-intensity lipid-lowering therapy, age and CD4+T cells were associated to atherosclerosis burden

Microbial colonization patterns predict the outcomes of surgical treatment of infrabony defect

Aim: To explore the impact of bacterial load and microbial colonization patterns on the clinical outcomes of periodontal surgery at deep intrabony defects. Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty-two patients with advanced chronic periodontitis and at least one intrabony defect of 43mm were recruited in 10 centres. Before recruitment, the infection control phase of periodontal therapy was completed. After surgical access and debridement, the regenerative material was applied in the test subjects, and omitted in the controls. At baseline and 1 year following the interventions, clinical attachment levels (CAL), pocket probing depths (PPD), recession (REC), full-mouth plaque scores and full-mouth bleeding scores were assessed. Microbial colonization of the defect-associated pocket was assessed using a DNA\u2013DNA checkerboard analysis. Results: Total bacterial load and counts of red complex bacteria were negatively associated with CAL gains 1 year following treatment. The probability of achieving above median CAL gains (43 mm) was significantly decreased by higher total bacterial counts, higher red complex and T. forsythensis counts immediately before surgery. Conclusions: Presence of high bacterial load and specific periodontal pathogen complexes in deep periodontal pockets associated with intrabony defects had a significant negative impact on the 1 year outcome of surgical/regenerative treatmen

A retrospective pilot study of correlation of first maxillary premolar root trunk length with age and gender. A cone beam computed tomography study

BACKGROUND: Root trunk length (RTL) plays an important role in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of periodontitis. The aim of this retrospective pilot study was to evaluate the RTL of first maxillary premolar and to study the correlation with age and sex in this value. METHODS: The sample included 110 cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images comprising 220 maxillaries first premolars from systemically healthy patients aged between 18 and 70 years. The tooth length (TL), root length (RL) and root trunk length (RTL) were measured (dependent variables). Age and sex were considered as independent variables. RESULTS: No statistically significant correlation was found between the RTL and the TL. Longer RL and longer RTL were observed in younger patients than older subjects only in the left maxillary premolars. On the other hand, the sex of the patients had no effect on either of the dependent variables. The single rooted maxillary premolars were more frequent (relative to those with two roots) in woman and in elderly patients. CONCLUSIONS: A correlation between the age and the RTL and RL has been found but only in left premolars. Sex seemed to have only a slight correlation on the frequency of single-rooted teeth of the right side of the mouth. Further studies should be addressed to clarify the significance of the asymmetries observed in the present study between the two sides of the mouth with the aim of deepening the knowledge and understanding of the different variables that could be correlated with the RTL