Dental implants, growth of the jaws, and determination of skeletal maturity

Recording jaw relation of a pediatric patient with ectodermal dysplasia and complete anodontia using a digital mini arch tracer: A case report

Children with ectodermal dysplasia and complete anodontia experience difficulties in oral rehabilitation because of the small arch size. A case of a 7-year-old boy, whose arch size (length and width) was 30-40% smaller than that of a male adult and who presented with difficulties in jaw relation recording using commercially available devices is described. A digital workflow involving a mini arch tracer was introduced. Primary impressions were made using three-dimensionally (3D) printed mini trays produced based on the patient's computed tomography images, and digital primary casts were obtained based on the scanned and reversed primary impressions. The final custom impression trays with mini tracing plates were designed based on the primary casts. In addition, the hand shank, retention plate, and retainers were placed on the designed custom trays and 3D-printed to produce an individual arch tracer system. In addition, two height-checking buckles were designed to help adjust the height of a tracing screw. Finally, the jaw relation of the patient was recorded and transferred, and a set of complete dentures were delivered, satisfying both the patient and his family.

Dental implants in growing patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Dental implants provide a suitable and reliable treatment for the replacement of missing teeth. Very few studies have been reported in the literature regarding the application of dental implants in growing and developing patients. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to systematically review the available literature regarding the application of dental implants in growing and developing patients. METHODS: A detailed search in the literature was performed with the help of keywords such as dental implants, treatment planning, children, adolescents, growing patients, and developing jaws. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Ovidsp databases were searched for papers published between 1980 and 2021. The papers focused on children, adolescents, developing jaws, and implants. In this systemic review, the dataset concerned with the type of study, aim, number of patients and specimens included, age of patients, total number of implants placed, total number of implants evaluated, medical history of developmental disorders of teeth such as ectodermal dysplasia, congenital absence of teeth, were evaluated. RESULTS: Out of the total literature searched, 33.45% of studies and case reports documented no complications in any implant treatment. In 47.21% of studies and case reports, there was both success and failure of implants while in 13.21% of studies and case reports there was a complete failure of implants. The most common cause for loss of permanent teeth in growing children and adolescent patients was dental trauma (73.13%) followed by congenital developmental disturbance of teeth (18.19%). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded from this systematic review that the use of implants in edentulous growing patients is determined by several parameters, including the patient’s overall health, the stage of jaw growth, the number of teeth to be replaced, and soft and hard tissue anatomic features. Still, the use of a conservative treatment strategy for missing teeth management in patients with developing jaws is common and recommended until the patient’s growth is completed, as there are chances of changes in the position of dental implants placed in the developing and growing jaws due to the continuous changes taking place in their body. However, placement of implants can be done in these patients successfully with proper treatment planning and taking into account the phase of growth with proper follow-up.

Impact of maxillofacial growth on implants placed in adults: A narrative review

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of lifetime maxillofacial changes on dental implants placed in adults, analyze the clinical implications of these changes, identify prognostic factors, and offer possible solutions.

OVERVIEW

The relationship between implant placement and maxillofacial changes, occurring during not only the active growth period but also the entire span of adulthood, has not been extensively examined. Vertical differences between implants and adjacent teeth due to the ankylotic behavior of the former might be observed at any age and endanger restoration biologically, functionally, and esthetically. Regarding interproximal contacts, firm contact loss may occur within a few months after restoration, resulting in food impaction. Many prognostic factors have been reported, but most do not exhibit a statistically significant association with implant infraocclusion and interproximal contact loss. Incorporation of alternative solutions, accurate treatment planning, strict recall protocols, and retrievability of implant-supported restorations can facilitate efficient management of complications.

CONCLUSION

Maxillomandibular changes throughout adulthood may lead to complications such as implant infraocclusion and interproximal contact loss. Rehabilitation of edentulism should be characterized by well-designed and flexible treatment plans to resolve long-term complications efficiently. Further long-term clinical studies are needed to identify other risk factors.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Treatment plans for implant therapy should be reconsidered for adults. Careful patient monitoring and early intervention are essential for securing treatment outcomes.

Correlation of spheno-occipital synchondrosis fusion stages with a hand-wrist skeletal maturity index: A cone beam computed tomography study

OBJECTIVES

To examine the correlation between spheno-occipital synchondrosis fusion stages and the hand-wrist skeletal maturity index.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Digital records of 164 individuals (77 males, 87 females) aged 10 to 18 years old were examined. Three-dimensional CBCT scans and hand-wrist two-dimensional radiographs were scored for the spheno-occipital synchondrosis fusion stages and hand-wrist skeletal maturity index, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed for associations using R software with a significance threshold of P< .01.

RESULTS

A significant positive relationship was demonstrated between spheno-occipital synchondrosis fusion stages and hand-wrist skeletal maturity in both sexes. The Kendall's rank correlation τ between hand-wrist skeletal maturity index and spheno-occipital synchondrosis fusion percentage were high and positive in males and females (r = .74 and r = .71, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The significant, positive relationship between the hand-wrist skeletal maturity index and spheno-occipital synchondrosis fusion stages support the idea of using spheno-occipital synchondrosis fusion as a biological indicator for craniofacial and mandibular growth spurt prediction.

The risk for infraposition of dental implants and ankylosed teeth in the anterior maxilla related to craniofacial growth, a systematic review

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to evaluate a potential association between individuals with different craniofacial types or other exposures, and the risk of infraposition due to continued growth/eruption of adjacent teeth in the anterior maxilla.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a systematic review in which primary studies as well as other systematic reviews are scrutinised. A search of PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Web of science and Health technology assessment (HTA) organisations and a complementary handsearch was carried out. Selected studies were read in full-text by several reviewers. The quality of the included primary studies was assessed using a protocol for assessment of risk of bias in exposure studies.

RESULTS

The literature search resulted in 3,296 publications. Title and abstract screening yielded 25, whereof one systematic review, potential publications allocated for full-text inspection. The quality assessment resulted in a total of seven studies with a low/moderate risk of bias and four studies with a high risk of bias.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, a long-term risk for infraposition of dental implants, or ankylosed teeth, among natural teeth can be observed in some cases. The predisposing factors are still not fully understood since the current scientific evidence is very limited.

Application of Platelet-Rich Fibrin as Regeneration Assistant in Immediate Auototransplantation of Third Molar with Unformed Roots: Case Report and Review of Literature

Background

Autogenous Tooth Transplantation (ATT) is the surgical movement of a maturely or immaturely formed tooth from its original site to another extraction site or a surgically prepared socket in the same individual. The most important factor in the healing process after autotransplantation is the presence of intact and viable periodontal ligament cells, which have the ability to differentiate into osteoblasts and able to induce bone production. ATT can successfully replace removable dentures as a restoration option in a growing patient, while implants can be placed only after skeletal maturity is attained. Case Presentation. In this case, we presented an immediate ATT of the third molar with unformed roots to the extraction socket of the first molar with evidence of continued root formation after 2 years of follow-up.

Conclusion

Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) can induce sustainable and accelerated healing, and it can also induce the regeneration process of the periodontal tissues and pulpal formation. This process plays a key role in future root development and success rate.

In the Dental Implant Era, Why Do We Still Bother Saving Teeth?

Teeth are vital sensory organs that contribute to our daily activities of living. Unfortunately, teeth can be lost for several reasons including trauma, caries, and periodontal disease. Although dental trauma injuries and caries are more frequently encountered in a younger population, tooth loss because of periodontal disease occurs in the older population. In the dental implant era, the trend sometimes seems to be to extract compromised teeth and replace them with dental implants. However, the long-term prognosis of teeth might not be comparable with the prognosis of dental implants. Complications, failures, and diseases such as peri-implantitis are not uncommon, and, despite popular belief, implants are not 99% successful. Other treatment options that aim to save compromised or diseased teeth such as endodontic treatment, periodontal treatment, intentional replantation, and autotransplantation should be considered on an individual basis. These treatments have competing success rates to dental implants but, more importantly, retain the natural tooth in the dentition for a longer period of time. These options are important to discuss in detail during treatment planning with patients in order to clarify any misconceptions about teeth and dental implants. In the event a tooth does have to be extracted, procedures such as decoronation and orthodontic extrusion might be useful to preserve hard and soft tissues for future dental implant placement. Regardless of the treatment modality, it is critical that strict maintenance and follow-up protocols are implemented and that treatment planning is ethically responsible and evidence based.

Hypodontia of mandibular incisors: considerations on the orthodontic treatment

Hypodontia is the most prevalent craniofacial malformation in mankind. It may present a wide variety of manifestations and, depending on the number and location of missing teeth, it may affect the esthetics, mastication, speech and occlusal balance. This paper discusses the therapeutic approaches to solve this condition, describing a case report with hypodontia of one mandibular lateral incisor, which treatment option included space closure at the region of hypodontia associated with composite resin restorations in the mandibular central incisors. The three-year follow-up after treatment revealed occlusal stability, adequate intercuspation in Class I relationship and excellent micro and macroesthetics.

Agenesis of Permanent Mandibular Central Incisors: A Concordant Condition in Siblings

Concordance is an identical expression of phenotype in two related individuals. Concordance expression of hypodontia is an uncommon condition where associated individuals are affected with exactly similar kind and number of missing teeth. There is very limited documentation of this condition either in twins or in siblings, and literature shows paucity of data with regard to this anomaly. To the best of our knowledge, there is only one such case reported in the literature, which has actually showed similar missing lower central incisors in siblings. This report presents a case of two girl siblings aged 11 and 13 years with congenital bilateral missing of permanent mandibular central incisors, which is an absolute concordant condition. Apart from discussing etiology, clinical implications and management, this article highlights the significance of concordant and discordant condition of hypodontia and expression of this condition in twins and siblings.

How to cite this article: Kagitha PK, Namineni S, Tupalli AR, Challa SK. Agenesis of Permanent Mandibular Central Incisors: A Concordant Condition in Siblings. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2016;9(1):74-77.

A 22-year follow-up of an endodontic implant

Root fractures in the middle and apical thirds of the root are treated by repositioning and for approximately 6 weeks of immobilization while those in the cervical third are immobilized for 3 months. Even though the results are good, some root-fractured teeth are lost and replaced by dental implants or fixed partial dentures. One historic but effective treatment option for those root fractures with unfavorable crown to root ratios is an endodontic implant in middle and apical third root fractures. This method offers immediate stable fixation of a crown and its coronal root segment to the underlying alveolar bone. This report documents the long-term survival of a tooth treated with an endodontic implant. A 25-year-old male patient presented following a bicycle accident with a dislocated unfavorable root fracture in the middle third. The crown with the coronal root segment was secured to the bone using a commercially available endodontic implant. The apical part of the root was removed. Although the clinical and radiological follow-up results of the endodontic implant demonstrated a good clinical function and little bone loss, the implant ultimately had to be removed after 22 years of service due to pain and increasing mobility.

Psammomatoid juvenile ossifying fibroma: case study and a review

BACKGROUND

The group of fibro-osseous lesions from the maxillofacial region is very heterogeneous, but what they all have in common is the substitution of normal bone by fibroblasts with the consequent formation of collagen fibers, as well as substitution by different types of mineralized tissues which may be similar to bone or cement. Within this group of lesions, the juvenile ossifying fibroma is found, considered a rare and recurrent benign fibro-osseous neoplasia. The term juvenile ossifying fibroma has been used in the literature to describe two histopathological variations of conventional ossifying fibroma. These variations are trabecular juvenile ossifying fibroma and psammomatoid juvenile ossifying fibroma. Psammomatoid juvenile ossifying fibroma is an uncommon bone-forming neoplasm with aggressive local growth. Diagnostic of this lesion occurs after the correlation of clinical, imaging, and histopathological findings. Proposed treatments range from enucleation and curettage to resection of the tumor.

OBJECTIVES

The present article has as its objectives to report an uncommon case of a 4-year-old male patient treated by conservative approach and revise the literature on juvenile ossifying fibroma.

CONCLUSIONS

Psammomatoid juvenile ossifying fibroma, for its being very uncommon, warrants further investigation in order to establish the best treatment, principally in children, with a view to minimizing mutilating treatments. In the case examined, a conservative treatment was chosen, where the surgeon established curette and cryotherapy, and the reintegration of the child in his social environment, without relapse during the first year of therapy.

Orthodontic Considerations in Restorative Management of Hypodontia Patients With Endosseous Implants

The use of implant-supported restorations in patients with hypodontia remains challenging and requires a multistage treatment that begins in late mixed dentition and continues into late adolescence. The aim of this article is to review the role of orthodontics in endosseous implant rehabilitation of patients with hypodontia. The MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane databases, and necessary scientific textbooks were searched for relevant studies and reviews, and as far as possible, they were only included if they had been cited at least once in the literature. Dental implants are susceptible to overloading as the periodontal ligament is absent and the proprioceptive nerve endings are either lacking or very limited. Patients with hypodontia may present with skeletal features such as short and retrognathic maxilla, prognathic mandible, and shorter lower anterior facial height, and they sometimes need orthognathic correction as part of their overall treatment. Dental problems vary and include bimaxillary retroclination of incisors, spacing, centerline discrepancies, microdontia, hypoplastic enamels, ankylosis of the retained primary teeth, overeruptions, and volume deficiencies of alveolar ridges. The challenges mentioned, as well as bone volume deficiencies, compromise the successful placement of implants. Orthodontic strategies and techniques, such as uprighting mechanics, extrusion/intrusion, delayed space opening, and orthodontic implant site-switching, can be used to create, preserve, or augment the implant site. After orthodontic site development, the final planned position of the teeth should be maintained with a rigid bonded retainer; overlooking this stage may compromise the implant site and require orthodontic retreatment.