The New Elderly Patient: A Necessary Upgrade

Comparison between Bone-Level and Tissue-Level Implants in Immediate-Loading Full-Arch Rehabilitations: A Retrospective Multi-Center 1-Year Follow-Up Study

The objective of the present retrospective multi-center study was to analyze the outcomes of bone-level (BL) implants and tissue-level (TL) implants in immediate-loading full-arch rehabilitations. Patients who were previously rehabilitated with full-arch immediate-loading rehabilitations with either BL or TL implants were considered. Data regarding implant survival rate, marginal bone loss (MBL), peri-implant probing depth (PPD), plaque index (PI), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were recorded, and the 1-year follow-up data were statistically analyzed between the two groups. In total, 38 patients were evaluated for a total implant number of 156 (n = 80 TL implants and n = 76 BL implants). An implant survival rate of 97.37% was recoded for the BL group while an implant survival rate of 100% was noted for the TL group. A total MBL of 1.324 ± 0.64 mm was recorded for BL implants, while a total MBL of 1.194 ± 0.30 mm was recorded for TL implants. A statistically significant difference was highlighted regarding MBL at the mesial aspect (p = 0.01552) of the implants, with BL implants presenting with higher MBL. Within the range of acceptable healthy values, a statistically significant difference was also highlighted regarding BOP (p < 0.00001), with TL implants presenting higher values. No statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) was recorded for any of the other variables analyzed. Within the limitations of the present retrospective study, both TL and BL implants seem to provide good clinical outcomes after a 12-month observational period when employed in immediate-loading full-arch rehabilitation.

What influences dental students' attitudes regarding the treatment of older adults? A scoping review

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to investigate the literature to evaluate dental students' attitudes regarding the treatment of older adults.

METHODS

A scoping review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses/PRISMA guidelines to identify articles from four electronic databases: MEDLINE via the PubMed interface, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and AgeLine. Gray literature searches were also performed in Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses-Health and Medicine.

RESULTS

Eleven articles were assessed. The majority (72, 72%) were published between 2011 and 2020, evidencing various contexts of dental students, such as different countries and cultures, and levels of education. The most commonly used tool/instrument to survey dental students' attitudes was the Aging Semantic Differential Scale. Student age, race, and marital status did not seem to interfere with dental students' attitudes regarding the treatment of older adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Dental students tend to have a positive attitude toward older people. In this context, female students, students who interact with older people, and clinical students have more positive attitudes than male and nonclinical students.