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Objectives: The present paper reports data of a randomized study aimed to analyse and compare the histologic and histomorphometric aspects of bone healing in extraction sites covered with collagen membrane alone or associated with porcine-derived bone graft., Material and Methods: Thirty patients, with single extraction sockets without severe bone wall defects in the premolar/molar region, were included. Ten extraction sockets were grafted with porcine-derived bone and covered with collagen membrane (group 1), 10 sites were covered with collagen membrane alone (group 2), and 10 sites healed spontaneously (group 3). After 4 months of healing, 26 (8 in group 1, 9 in group 2, and 9 in group 3) bone core specimens were harvested for histologic evaluation, then dental implants were placed., Results: Sites in the group 1 and in the group 2 showed similar histologic and histomorphometric results without significantly differences in the percentage of vital bone (57.43% [SD 4.8] vs. 60.01% [SD 3.2]), and non-mineralized connective tissue 22.99% (SD 5.3) vs. 18.53% (SD 6.2). In group 1 a 16.57% (SD 3.8) of residual material was found., Conclusions: Results showed that the use of collagen membrane alone or associated to porcine-derived bone improves the healing bone process compared to that of extraction sites spontaneously healed. Moreover, histomorphometric data related to bone quality, indicated that extraction sites without severe walls defects and with a vestibular bone thickness > 1.5 mm, treated with a low resorbtion rate collagen membrane alone, do not need more than 4 months for dental implant insertion.

Objectives: The aim of present randomized controlled clinical trial was to clinically evaluate hard tissue changes after extraction socket preservation procedures compared to natural spontaneous healing., Material and Methods: Thirty patients were enrolled in the present study and underwent single-tooth extraction in the premolar/molar areas. Ten sites were grafted with porcine-derived bone covered by collagen membrane, 10 covered by porcine-derived collagen membrane alone, and 10 underwent natural spontaneous healing. Vertical and horizontal bone changes after 3-month were evaluated at implant placement., Results: The vertical and horizontal bone changes at the extraction sockets treated with collagen membrane alone (vertical: -0.55 [SD 0.11] mm, and horizontal: -1.21 [SD 0.69] mm) and collagen membrane plus porcine-derived bone (vertical: -0.37 [SD 0.7] mm, and horizontal: -0.91 [SD 0.53] mm) were found significantly lower (P < 0.001), when compared to non-grafted sockets (vertical: -2.09 [SD 0.19] mm, and horizontal: -3.96 [SD 0.87] mm).In type 1 extraction sockets, in premolar sites, and in presence of vestibular bone thicknesses ≥ 1.5 mm, the use of collagen membrane alone revealed similar outcomes to those with additional graft material., Conclusions: At the re-entry surgery, extraction sockets grafted with porcine-derived bone and covered by collagen membrane, and extraction sockets covered by porcine-derived collagen membrane alone, showed significantly lower vertical and horizontal bone changes, compared to extraction sockets sites underwent natural spontaneous healing. However, a complete prevention of remodelling is not achievable, irrespective of the technique used.

Objectives: Risk factors in oral implantology are defined as local or systemic conditions that increase failure rates. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the long-term survival rate of dental implants placed in patients presenting mechanical risk factors., Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted only with patients presenting at least one of the following risk factors were included: Bruxism; crown-to-implant (C/I) ratio <0.8; abutment angulation. The overall implant survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analyses. Risk factors for implant failure were identified using the Cox proportional hazard regression models., Results: Eighty-nine eligible patients were enrolled in this study: They were both male ( n = 56, 62.92%) and female ( n = 33, 37.08%), with an average age of 53.24 (23-76 years), with 227 dental implants inserted. The mean follow-up was 13.6 years (range: 10-16 years). The overall 10-year Kaplan-Meier survival estimate with associated 95% confidence intervals was 86.34% (82.8, 87.1). Bruxism was the only variable that showed a statistically significant association with implant failure ( P < 0.05) and a hazard ratio of 2.9, while both Crown to-implant and abutment angulations reported lower values of failure ( P > 0.05)., Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, can be concluded that data suggested an evident relationship between bruxism and dental implant failure but further studies, with a larger sample and a different design are required to assess this relationship., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Numerous factors help to conserve the dentition of elderly patients, such as healthy food habits, a strong physical constitution, and a good quality of life. The aim of this study was to define a model that takes into account the integration of both the structural and functional aspects of a healthy dentition. Twenty-three patients aged at least 75 years were recruited. The patients were required to possess all of their dentition and have no prosthetic rehabilitations and be asymptomatic for temporomandibular joint disorders. Occlusal characteristics were measured and recorded using the criteria adopted by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: presence or absence of rotation of the upper arches, trend of the occlusal table, and distribution of occlusal contacts during movements. We believe that the following parameters are predictive of a condition of the dental arches' equilibrium: crowding and disalignment of the teeth, derotated position of the upper arches, absence of the curve of Spee, an occlusal plane trend contrary to spherical theory, and presence of group function on the working side and malocclusion on the nonworking side. We consider that these factors are merely the consequence of correct functioning within the framework of favorable environmental factors.