HEALTH CARE IN SLAVONIAN PROVINCE DURING THE 19th CENTURY

Due to its proximity to the Ottoman Empire, Slavonia was constantly exposed to the threat of invasion by numerous infectious and non-infectious diseases. An additional aggravating circumstance was the poor living and hygienic conditions in Slavonia, poverty, droughts, and floods. After the withdrawal of the Ottomans at the end of the 17th century, medical care was provided only by a few barbers and ‘ranarniks’ (i.e., feldshers) who remained in the Slavonian province. Due to the poor medical care, in 1770, the Empress and Queen Maria Theresa issued the General Health Law, which applied to the entire Habsburg Monarchy, including Slavonia. Among other things, it provided for the introduction of formal training for health personnel, ultimately leading to a better quality medical workforce. At the same time, charlatans were increasingly prohibited from working. The shortage of trained physicians, dentists, midwives, pharmacists, and veterinarians was addressed through various measures to promote their education and training. After obtaining their diplomas, these professionals were employed in hospitals, old people’s homes, nursing homes, homes for people with disabilities, and other healthcare institutions where the inhabitants of the Slavonian province received medical care.

Regeneration of Buccal Wall Defects after Tooth Extraction with Biphasic Calcium Phosphate in Injectable Form vs. Bovine Xenograft: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Bone healing after tooth extraction may be affected by defects of the alveolus buccal wall, such as fenestrations and dehiscences. Therefore, to minimize dimensional changes it is advisable to perform alveolar ridge preservation after tooth extractions. Different biomaterials are used for this purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the qualitative and quantitative histological changes in human biopsies taken after 6 months of healing of extraction sockets with buccal wall defects. For this purpose, the defects of 36 patients (18 per group) were treated with injectable biphasic calcium phosphate (I-BCP) or bovine xenograft (BX) after extraction. After six months of healing, biopsies were taken and proceeded to the histology laboratory. No evidence of an inflammatory response of the tissue was observed in the biopsies of either group, and the newly formed bone (NB) was in close contact with the remaining biomaterial (BM). The histomorphometric results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the mean percentage of NB (p = 0.854), BM (p = 0.129), and soft tissue (p = 0.094). To conclude, both biomaterials exhibited osteoconductivity and biocompatibility and achieved satisfactory bone regeneration of buccal wall defects after tooth extraction.

Guided Bone Regeneration Using a Novel Magnesium Membrane: A Literature Review and a Report of Two Cases in Humans

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is a common procedure used to rebuild dimensional changes in the alveolar ridge that occur after extraction. In GBR, membranes are used to separate the bone defect from the underlying soft tissue. To overcome the shortcomings of commonly used membranes in GBR, a new resorbable magnesium membrane has been developed. A literature search was performed via MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed in February 2023 for research on magnesium barrier membranes. Of the 78 records reviewed, 16 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. In addition, this paper reports two cases where GBR was performed using a magnesium membrane and magnesium fixation system with immediate and delayed implant placement. No adverse reactions to the biomaterials were detected, and the membrane was completely resorbed after healing. The resorbable fixation screws used in both cases held the membranes in place during bone formation and were completely resorbed. Therefore, the pure magnesium membrane and magnesium fixation screws were found to be excellent biomaterials for GBR, which supports the findings of the literature review.