Discomfort/pain due to periodontal and peri-implant probing with/without platform switching

Periodontal and peri-implant bleeding on probing in patients undergoing supportive maintenance: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Assessment of periodontal and peri-implant inflammation, evidenced by bleeding on probing (BOP), among partially dentate patients receiving supportive periodontal care (SPC).

MATERIAL & METHODS

Patient charts from the Center for Dentistry and Oral Medicine of Goethe-University Frankfurt with at least one dental implant were reviewed. Measurements included probing pocket depth (PPD), BOP, and full-mouth bleeding and plaque scores for all teeth and implants.

RESULTS

100 patients (median; lower/upper quartile: age 68.9; 62.6/76.5 years; 51 females, 6 smokers, 16 with anticoagulative medication, 6 localized stage III, 57 generalized stage III, 37 stage IV, 70 grade B, 30 Grade C, 22; 20/25 teeth left, 2; 1/4 implants) were examined. Peri-implant BOP (24; 11.5/41.5%) was significantly higher than BOP at teeth (14; 8/21.5%) (p < 0.001). A median of 0 (0/1) implants exhibited no BOP and 0 (0/1) only one site with BOP. Shallow pockets (PPD 1-3 mm) were significantly more frequent in teeth (93; 87/97%) than in implants (72.5; 58/94.5%; p < 0.001). Moderately deep pockets (PPD 4 and 5 mm) were less frequent in teeth compared to implants (6; 2/11%; 22; 5.5/33%; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Peri-implant sites exhibit a higher prevalence of BOP compared to periodontal sites in SPC patients.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Practitioners providing supportive periodontal care to patients with dental implants should anticipate a greater prevalence of BOP around implants compared to teeth.

Discomfort/pain due to peri-implant probing at titanium and zirconium implants: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to compare discomfort/pain after periodontal and peri-implant probing in patients with titanium compared with zirconium implants.

METHODS

One examiner recruited and examined 70 patients, each of whom had a dental implant with a contralateral tooth; 37 patients had titanium implants of various types and 33 patients had zirconium implants; one implant was analyzed for each patient. Periodontal and peri-implant probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were assessed. Immediately after probing, patients rated their discomfort/pain with a visual analog scale (VAS). The emergence profiles of implant crowns were assessed on periapical radiographs of the implants.

RESULTS

Seventy patients with a median age of 55 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 42-65 years), including 43 females and 16 current smokers, were examined. The mean PPD and bleeding on probing (BOP) were higher around implants than around teeth (p < .001). CAL and suppuration were well-balanced between implants and teeth. Peri-implant probing caused significantly more discomfort/pain than periodontal probing [median VAS score: 12.5 (IQR 4-22) vs. 9 (2-15); p < .001]. Logistic regression revealed that discomfort/pain after peri-implant probing was less intense in patients who had taken analgesic medication (p = .021) and around titanium implants (p = .037).

CONCLUSIONS

Peri-implant probing caused significantly more discomfort/pain than periodontal probing. Patients who had taken analgesic medication experienced less discomfort and pain with peri-implant probing than those who had not; furthermore, titanium implants were associated with less pain than zirconium implants.

Common practices of dental implants maintenance among dental hygiene professionals in Israel and Germany

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the common practices of dental implant maintenance among dental hygiene professionals (DHP) in Israel (IL) and Germany (GE).

METHODS

An online questionnaire was developed by the Periodontology Departments of Tel Aviv (IL) and Frankfurt University (GE) to address demographics, training, prevention and treatment of peri-implant diseases. The questionnaire was distributed by DHP associations via social media.

RESULTS

The responses of 376 DHPs (IL: 169; GE: 207) were analysed. Most participants were female (IL: 168/99%; GE: 203/98%), had received education (IL: 179/97%; GE: 207/97%) and were working in their home countries (IL: 182/99%; GE: 211/99%). Peri-implant probing was not performed by 22% of DHPs in IL and 5% in GE. Of the DHPs who used probes, 49% used metal probes in IL, while 40% used plastic probes in GE (p < 0.001). A majority of DHPs performed peri-implant instrumentation (IL: 168/99%; GE: 190/92%). Most DHPs from IL did not use devices other than hand and/or sonic/ultrasonic instruments for peri-implant cleaning (IL: 130/77%; GE 5/2%); in GE, the use of airflow (IL: 31/18%; GE: 199/96%) is popular (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Most DHPs in IL and GE perform peri-implant probing and debridement. However, there are some distinct differences between the two countries regarding the choice of instruments and treatment regimens.

Alleviating Pregastroscopy Anxiety Using Mobile Social Media Application

Aim

The research aimed to study the effect of using WeChat (a mobile social media application) on pregastroscopy anxiety and the cooperation of patients with different coping styles.

Methods

In order to decrease patients' pregastroscopy anxiety and improve the tolerance of unsedated gastroscopy, WeChat, a widely used mobile social media application, was applied to provide information prior to their endoscopic procedure. Two hundred and thirty patients who underwent initial unsedated gastroscopy in a large teaching hospital in China were classified into two groups based on their coping style: information seekers or information avoiders, using the Information Subscale of the Krantz Health Opinion Survey (KHOS-I). Each of the two groups was prospectively randomly assigned to either receiving the brochure information or conjunctive interactive WeChat-delivered information of gastroscopy. To measure the level of state anxiety, the State Anxiety Scale of Spielberg's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire was used. State anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate were measured at enrollment, upon arrival, and before gastroscopy.

Results

Information seekers and avoiders who received information from the brochure and the WeChat platform experienced significantly less state anxiety upon arrival and before gastroscopy. Furthermore, information seekers who received information from the conjunctive WeChat platform had lower frequency of retching, lower scores of nausea and bloating, and better tolerance. Information avoiders who received information from the conjunctive WeChat platform had lower frequency of retching, lower scores of discomfort while swallowing the scope and nausea, and better tolerance. However, we found the percentage of information seekers who preferred no WeChat-delivered pregastroscopy information is greater than WeChat-delivered information at the initial questionnaire. No significant difference was found in blood pressure or heart rate upon arrival and before gastroscopy.

Conclusions

Although people preferred no WeChat-delivered pregastroscopy information, the provision of gastroscopy information through a mobile social media application, such as WeChat, could significantly reduce patients' pregastroscopy anxiety, lower the frequency of retching, reduce the scores of nausea and bloating, and improve tolerance for information seekers. In addition, it could lower the frequency of retching, reduce the scores of discomfort while swallowing the scope and its concurrent nausea, and improve tolerance for information avoiders.

Effect of peri-implant disease on oral health-related quality of life in geriatric patients

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of peri-implant disease on the quality of life in geriatric patients using implant-supported overdentures.

BACKGROUND

Peri-implant disease and bone loss are two main complications of dental implant treatment that can impact the quality of life in the geriatric population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 109 geriatric individuals treated in the prosthodontics and periodontology departments. On clinical examination, periodontal pocket depth, gingival index (GI) and plaque index (PIn) were measured to determine peri-implant status. Marginal bone loss was measured by radiological examination, using ImageJ software. Moreover, the Oral Healthy Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire was used to evaluate participants' perceived oral health-related quality of life.

RESULTS

Peri-implantitis (PI) and peri-implant mucositis (PM) prevalence were 30% and 24%, respectively. Only 44% of patients had healthy implants. Although total OHIP-14 scores were higher in the PI group than in the healthy and PM groups, this difference was not statistically significant (P = .148). Total OHIP-14 score was significantly correlated with PIn and GI.

CONCLUSIONS

Within the limitations of this study, it can be said that on quality of life in patients using implant-supported overdenture related to clinical parameters such as PIn and GI. Results also indicated that geriatric patients should take action to improve their oral health. Further longitudinal studies are needed to support our results and should include control groups that use conventional removable dentures.

Ultrastructural changes of smooth and rough titanium implant surfaces induced by metal and plastic periodontal probes

Objectives

To determine the ultrastructural changes of titanium surfaces of dental implants induced by the tip of periodontal probes.

Materials and methods

A total of 40 samples of smooth and rough surfaces of titanium implants were randomly assigned for the treatment with metal or plastic periodontal probes under application angles of 20° and 60°. Titanium surfaces have been evaluated with CLSM prior and following to experimental probing determining various standardized 2D and 3D roughness parameters.

Results

The average profile and surface roughness (Ra and Sa) showed no significant difference between treated and untreated samples on smooth and rough surface areas irrespective of the probe material. On smooth surfaces several amplitude roughness parameters were increased with metal probes but reached significance only for Rp (p = 0.007). Rough surface parts showed a slight but not significant reduction of roughness following to the contact with metal probes. The surface roughness remained almost unchanged on smooth and rough implant surfaces using plastic probes. The surface roughness on implant surfaces was not dependent on the application angle irrespective of the probe material.

Conclusion

Probing of titanium implants with metal probes and even less with plastic probes causes only minor changes of the surface roughness. The clinical significance of these changes remains to be elucidated.

Clinical relevance

Using plastic probes for the clinical evaluation of the peri-implant sulcus might avoid ultrastructural changes to titanium implant surfaces.

The feasibility of using computer-based models for reducing the risks of complications associated with temporary dentures

Contemporary prosthetic dentistry has a vast arsenal of solutions for completely edentulous patients. However, it is crucial to consider a variety of factors that can cause complications in patients wearing temporary dentures in the osseointegration period. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the medical records of completely edentulous patients wearing temporary removable or fixed dentures in the osseointegration period, to identify the risk factors for complications and to calculate the odds of adverse events. We performed a multivariate analysis and developed a computerized algorithm that could be used to facilitate selection of the proper denture type and material. The algorithm demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity: 94.37 (76.2 : 98.7) and 92.56 (79.8 : 97.6), respectively; the AUC value is 0.921 (0.843 : 0.963). We are planning to develop a software based on the proposed algorithm that would help the dentist to make a more objective decision when selecting the type of temporary denture and its material.