Post-Orthodontic Lower Incisors Recessions: Combined Periodontic and Orthodontic Approach

The bonded lingual retainer (BLR) is considered a favorable choice for retaining lower incisors’ alignment post-orthodontic treatment; however, it may cause some unwanted effects such as inadvertent tooth movement and torque changes. These often result in gingival recession (Miller class III-type) with exposure of the root surface, which compromises the esthetics and hinders the comfort of the patient. Fifteen post-orthodontic patients presenting Miller class III-type recessions with BLR were examined. Two protocols were used: the first included the removal of the BLR prior to surgery and the second included only a surgical approach. All patients underwent the same surgery of a modified tunnel double papilla procedure for root coverage. The gingival recession was measured using a dental probe before, and three to six months post-surgery. The average improvement in recession depth was significantly greater (p = 0.008) for the protocol that included removal of the BLR (4.0 ± 0.83 mm) with an improvement of 87.2% as compared to the second protocol that showed an improvement of 43.8% (1.88 ± 1.29 mm). Removing the BLR prior to surgery is beneficial for predictable root coverage in post-orthodontic Miller class III recessions

Primary Implant Stability Analysis of Different Dental Implant Connections and Designs—An In Vitro Comparative Study

Primary implant stability can be evaluated at the time of placement by measuring the insertion torque (IT). However, another method to monitor implant stability over time is resonance frequency analysis (RFA). Our aim was to examine the effect of bone type, implant design, and implant length on implant primary stability as measured by IT and two RFA devices (Osstell and Penguin) in an in vitro model. Ninety-six implants were inserted by a surgical motor in an artificial bone material, resembling soft and dense bone. Two different implant designs—conical connection (CC) and internal hex (IH), with lengths of 13 and 8 mm, were compared. The results indicate that the primary stability as measured by RFA and IT is significantly increased by the quality of bone (dense bone), and implant length and design, where the influence of dense bone is similar to that of CC design. Both the Osstell and Penguin devices recorded higher primary implant stability for long implants in dense bone, favoring the CC over the IH implant design. The CC implant design may compensate for the low stability expected in soft bone, and dense bone may compensate for short implant length if required by the anatomical bone conditions

Reliability and Correlation of Different Devices for the Evaluation of Primary Implant Stability: An In Vitro Study

Our aim was to analyze the correlation between the IT evaluated by a surgical motor and the primary implant stability (ISQ) measured by two RFA devices, Osstell and Penguin, in an in vitro model. This study examines the effect of bone type (soft or dense), implant length (13 mm or 8 mm), and implant design (CC: conical connection; IH: internal hexagon), on this correlation. Ninety-six implants were inserted using a surgical motor (IT) into two types of synthetic foam blocks. Initial measurements for both the peak IT and ISQ were recorded at the point when implant insertion was stopped by the surgical motor, and the final measurements were recorded when the implant was completely inserted into the synthetic blocks using only the RFA devices. Our null hypothesis was that there is a good correlation between the devices, independent of the implant length, design, or bone type. We found a positive, significant correlation between the IT, and the Osstell and Penguin devices. Implant length and bone type did not affect this correlation. The correlation between the devices in the CC design was maintained; however, in the IH design it was maintained only between the RFA devices. We concluded that there is a high positive correlation between the IT and ISQ from a mechanical perspective, which was not affected by bone type or implant length but was affected by the implant design

Coronally Advanced Flap with Connective Tissue Graft for Treating Orthodontic-Associated Miller Class III Gingival Recession of the Lower Incisors: A One-Year Retrospective Study

(1) Background: To assess the clinical outcome of coronally advanced flap combined with connective tissue graft for the treatment of orthodontic-associated Miller Class III gingival recession of the lower incisors. (2) Methods: This study included 15 patients who had undergone orthodontic treatment prior to development of recession. Measurements of recession depth, recession width, probing depth, and width of keratinized tissue were performed clinically immediately before surgery and after one year. In addition, digital measurements of recession depth, recession width, and root coverage esthetic score were performed on intraoral photographs. (3) Results: Significant reduction was observed for probing depth, recession depth, and recession width at one year, with significant increase in width of keratinized tissue. Mean root coverage was 83 ± 24% for recession depth, while complete root coverage was achieved in 10 out of 21 recessions (48%). The average root coverage esthetic score at 12 months was 7.1 ± 2.6. An interaction was found between initial recession depth and mean root coverage. (4) Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, our results confirm that combination of coronally advanced flap and connective tissue graft is effective in reducing post-orthodontic Miller Class III recessions of the mandibular incisors, even when the correction of the tooth malposition, is unattainable

Evaluation of Implant Stability and Trephination Depth for Implant Removal—An In Vitro Study

Malpositioned and broken implants are usually fully osseointegrated; hence, their removal, especially from the lower arch, can be very challenging. Implant removal techniques include reverse torque and trephination. Trephination is an invasive technique that can jeopardize vital structures, cause mandibular fatigue fractures, or lead to osteomyelitis. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between trephination depth and implant stability by recording implant stability quotient (ISQ) readings at varying trephination depths in vitro. Materials and methods: Forty-eight implants were inserted into dense synthetic polyurethane foam blocks as artificial bone. Primary implant stability was measured with a Penguin resonance frequency analysis (RFA) device. Implants of two designs with a diameter of 3.75 mm and a length of 13 or 8 mm were inserted. Twenty-four internal hexagon (IH) (Seven®) and twenty-four conical connection (CC) implants (C1®; MIS® Implants, Ltd., Misgav, Israel) were used. The primary implant stability was measured with the RFA device. Trephination was performed, and implant stability was recorded at depths of 0, 3, and 6 mm for the 8 mm implants and 0, 3, 6, 8, 10, and 11.5 mm for the 13 mm implants. Results: Linear regression revealed a significant relation between the trephination depth and the ISQ (F (1, 213) = 1113.192, p < 0.001, adjusted r2 = 0.839). The trephination depth significantly predicted the ISQ (β = −5.337, p < 0.001), and the ISQ decreased by −5.33 as the trephination depth increased by 1 mm. Conclusion: Implant stability reduction as measured using an RFA device during trephination may be a valuable guide to achieving safe reverse torque for implant removal. Further studies are needed to evaluate these data in clinical settings