A comparative study of rehabilitation methods of patients with edentulous arches associated with insufficient bone volume

Ilarion Postolachi Department of Prosthodontics, Nicolae Testemitsanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chisinau, the Republic of MoldovaBackground: The rehabilitation of patients with insufficient bone support may be difficult because of multiple disturbances from stomatognathic system and the necessity to reestablish the lost bone volume. Material and methods: In this study were included 24 patients who were treated with conventional prosthesis (15 patients) and fixed implanting supported prosthesis (9 patients). Results: Implant-prosthetic rehabilitation with preliminary bone augmentation has esthetic, functional and biomechanical advantages over conventional prosthesis but it is more costly, traumatic and requires a long rehabilitation period with multiple surgical procedures. However, because of their disadvantages and hard conditions these prostheses are not always functional may not fully restore the lost functions of stomatognathic system. The necessity of additional surgical procedures, a higher cost and a longer rehabilitation time limit the applicability of this method. Conclusions: Implant supported prostheses provide a psychological comfort and prevent the progression of bone atrophy. Rehabilitation with conventional prostheses permits to restore the lost soft and hard tissue volume and patients’ integration into the society. Bone grafting allows restoring of lost soft and hard tissue volume which allows inserting of implants of standard size and manufacture of functional and aesthetical restorations. The questionnaire analysis has shown that patients that wore conventional prostheses for many years are usually unsatisfied by their performance and require implant prosthetic rehabilitation with fixed restorations. The last ones are well tolerated by patients and provide a psychological comfort that cannot be achieved with conventional prostheses

Morphology and variability of the facial nerve trunk dependent on branching pattern, gender, anthropometric type and side of the head in Moldovan population

Background: Knowledge concerning variability of the facial nerve trunk (FNT) direction after its exit through the stylomastoid foramen is of a great clinical significance for maxillofacial surgeons, otorhinolaryngologists, oncologists, specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery. The aim of our study was to establish the variation of the FNT direction and its peculiarities dependent on branching pattern, gender, anthropometric type and side of the head. Materials and methods: The direction of the FNT and its branching pattern were studied on 75 dissected hemifaces of adult formalized cadavers (59 male/16 female), and the morphometry of the FNT length, width and bifurcation angle was carried out. Results: Seven branching patterns of the facial nerve were established: Type I – 18.7%, Type II – 14.7%, Type III – 20%, Type IV – 14.6%, Type V – 5.3%, Type VI – 18.7%, and Type-NI – 8% (bizarre types). The FNT had a descending direction in 73.3% of cases; ascending FNT – 9.3% (including 5.3% of very short diffuse branching trunks and 1.3% of arch-shaped FNT); horizontal FNT – 10.7%; number variants – 6.7%. The male/female ratio of the descending FNT was 69.5%/87.4%; ascending – 10.2%/6.3%; horizontal – 11.9%/6.3%; number variants – 8.4% (only in male). The right/left ratio of the descending FNT was 62.9%/82.5%; ascending – 11.4%/7.5%; horizontal – 11.4%/10%; number variants – 14.3% (only on the right side). The ratio of the descending FNT in mesocephalic type (MCT) / brachycephalic type (BCT) / dolichocephalic type (DCT) was respectively 70.6%/100%/66.7%; ascending – 12.1%/0%/0%; horizontal – 12.1/0%/11.1%. Numerical variants in MCT – 5.2%, in DCT – 22.2%. The mean number of FNT in MCT/BCT/DCT was respectively 1.07/1.0/1.22. Conclusions: Three main directions are characteristic for FNT: the descending, ascending and horizontal ones, which vary dependent on branching pattern, gender, shape and side of the head

Dental implant placement with simultaneous ridge split technique in posterior atrophic alveolar mandibular crest

Special Issue: Abstracts of the EAO Congress, Paris, France, 29 September - 1 October 2016Background: Narrow alveolar ridges of 3 mm or less remain a challenge for successful implant placement. When an implant is placed, Scipioni and coworkers suggested that a minimum thickness of 1–1.5 mm of bone should remain on both buccal and lingual aspects of the implant. If this is neglected, then the buccal cortical plate fractures and the implant loses its initial primary stability. Several surgical techniques for ridge augmentation procedures were proposed, for example guided bone regeneration, autologous bone grafting in combination or without bone substitute material. These procedures often require long period of time, are expensive and in case of autogenous bone block grafts causes additional trauma. As an alternative method, ridge split procedures introduced in 1992 by Simion et al. and later developed by Scipioni et al. provides the possibility of immediate implant placement. Main concept of this technique relies on elasticity of the bone