Computer-assisted open exposure of palatally impacted canines for orthodontic eruption: A randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

This randomized clinical trial aimed to assess the feasibility of computer-assisted open exposure of palatally impacted canines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients aged 11-30 years who required orthodontic eruption for the full palatal impaction of their canines were included in this study. Exclusion criteria were psychosocial and dental contraindications of orthodontic treatment, congenital craniofacial disorders, and trauma in the patient's history in the vicinity of the surgical site. Virtual planning software was used to register the intraoral scans and cone-beam computed tomography data and to design a surgical template. In the test group, exposure of the canines was guided by a surgical template, whereas in the control group, the surgeon relied on the surgical plan to localize the impacted canine. The success of the intervention, duration of surgery, and complications, including excessive hemorrhage, damage to the canine or neighboring anatomical landmarks, and postoperative inflammation of the surgical site were assessed. Postoperative pain was reported by the patients using the visual analog pain scale (VAS).

RESULTS

Surgery was deemed successful in all patients in both groups. During healing, no complications were observed. The duration of surgery decreased significantly in the test group (4 min 45.1 s ± 1 min 8.4 s) compared to that in the control group (7 min 22.3 s ± 56.02 s). No statistically significant differences were observed between the VAS scores of the two study groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of virtual planning and static navigation is a viable approach for the open exposure of palatally impacted canines.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05909254.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Computer-assisted surgery is a feasible method for open exposure of palatally impacted canines, which decreases the duration of surgery compared to the freehand method.

Effect of 3D printed replicas on the duration of third molar autotransplantation surgery: A controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND/AIM

This study aimed to develop a protocol that combines cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), software, and 3D printing to design 3D replicas for tooth autotransplantation. The goal was to evaluate the impact of this approach on the extraoral time of the donor teeth and the total surgical time, thereby enhancing surgical efficiency and outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A non-randomized trial (protocol 10.1186/ISRCTN13563091) was conducted at Riga Stradins University, enrolling 46 patients (13-22 years old) who required molar extraction and possessed a non-erupted third molar. The patients were sequentially assigned to a 3D replica group (24 patients) or a control group (22 patients). The primary outcome measured was the extra-alveolar time of the donor tooth, and the secondary outcome was the total duration of surgery. Both were assessed using a sample size capable of detecting a 10-min difference. A generalized linear model adjusted for various factors was used to test for significant time differences (p < .05) between the groups.

RESULTS

Forty-six patients were included in this analysis. The effect of using 3D replicas was not statistically significant and was associated with a decrease in the extraoral time of the donor tooth in seconds (β = -9.35, 95% CI [-40.86, 22.16]). For the total surgical time in minutes, the use of 3D replicas had a statistically significant impact, reducing the operation duration in minutes (β = -13.42, 95% CI [-24.50, -2.34]). No early complications were observed in either group, with all teeth present at 3-4 weeks post-surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The integration of 3D printing technology can enhance the efficiency of autotransplantation surgeries, primarily by reducing surgical time.

What Are the Complications, Success and Survival Rates for Autotransplanted Teeth? An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Metanalyses

Background: Autotransplantation is the surgical repositioning of a tooth within the same patient. It can be thought of as the controlled avulsion and re-implantation of a tooth and can be a viable alternative to other dental rehabilitation options. This review aimed to evaluate the survival rate (SR), major complications such as ankylosis rate (AR) and infection-related root resorption (RR), and overall success and failure rate (FR) in autotransplanted teeth. Methods: Six databases were accessed up to January 2021 to obtain all systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRs and MAs). Study selection: After title and abstract reading, data extraction was performed from eligible SRs. The methodological quality was calculated for the included SRs using the risk of bias in systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool. Results: Six SRs were included in this review. The overall failure rate ranged from as low as 2.0% to 10.32%. The 1-year survival was very high (97.4–98.0%). The 5-year survival rate ranged from 81 to 98.2%. Major complications of AR ranged from 1.2 to 6.2%, and RR ranged from 2.1 to 10.4%. Conclusion: The overall findings from these SR and MA are promising; however, all the SRs include only single-arm prospective or retrospective studies, the SRs are of overall low methodological quality, and for the heterogeneity of the included SRs, well-designed comparative studies with a long-term follow-up are recommended.

Use of 3D printing in the planning of a patient with unerupted maxillary central incisors

Impacted central incisors are a clinical dilemma faced by orthodontists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, paediatric and restorative dentists. Successful management requires a robust diagnosis and treatment planning process. This case report highlights the use of 3D printing to aid the treatment planning of a patient with bilateral unerupted maxillary central incisors due to two supernumerary teeth acting as a physical obstruction. The preoperative cone beam computed tomography scan allowed for production of the printed model to the exact size and dimensions of the unerupted teeth and supernumeraries to facilitate the planning of the case and to aid in consenting the patient for treatment.