Treatment with Astra Tech TiOblast implants and Brånemark turned implants supporting full-arch bridges showed generally good clinical results with low numbers of implants with marginal bone loss indicative of peri-implantitis. No significant differences were found between the implant systems after 12-15 years in function.

THE AIM OF THIS RETROSPECTIVE three-center study was to evaluate guided tissue regeneration (GTR) therapy in a clinical periodontal setting. The material consisted of 203 consecutively treated intrabony defects > or = 4 mm in 143 patients using a bioabsorbable matrix barrier. Each center followed the same protocol for presurgical, intrasurgical, and follow up examinations. Initial therapy, surgical, and follow-up treatments followed the routine of each center. Treatment was evaluated after 1 year by clinical assessments for probing depth (PD) reduction and clinical attachment level (CAL) gain and by bone fill from computer digitized radiographs. Initial intrabony defect depth averaged 6.3 +/- 1.0 mm clinically and 5.7 +/- 1.8 mm radiographically. Mean PD was reduced from 9.0 +/- 1.0 mm to 3.3 +/- 1.0 mm. Mean CAL gain amounted to 4.8 +/- 1.5 mm corresponding to 79 +/- 13% of the initial intrabony defect depth; 78% of the defects exhibited CAL gain > or = 4 mm. Bone fill averaged 3.2 +2- 1.8 mm. Together with a crestal resorption of 1.1 +/- 1.4 mm this resulted in a defect resolution of 4.3 +/- 1.9 mm or 72%. Forty-seven percent (47%) of the variability in CAL gain could be explained by defect depth, defect width, early barrier exposure, and presence of plaque in the treated area. CAL gain and bone fill were positively correlated to the intrabony defect depth; i.e., the deeper the defect the more the CAL gain and bone fill. Sites with barrier exposure during the first 2 weeks of healing showed significantly less CAL gain than sites at which exposure occurred at a later stage or not at all. Presence of plaque in the treated area had a significant negative impact on both CAL gain and bone fill. It was concluded that GTR-treatment of intrabony defects > or = 4 mm in a periodontal specialist practice will result in clinical attachment level gain and bone fill comparable to what has been demonstrated in case studies and controlled clinical trials. The predictability to obtain CAL gain > or = 4 mm in defects > or = 4 mm was 78%.

In this multi-center study 38 patients with contralateral molar Class II furcation defects were treated with GTR therapy using a bioresorbable matrix barrier (test) and a nonresorbable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) barrier (control). Following flap elevation, scaling, root planing, and removal of granulation tissue, each device was adjusted to cover the furcation defect. The flaps were repositioned and sutured to complete coverage of the barriers. A second surgical procedure was performed at control sites after 4 to 6 weeks to remove the nonresorbable barrier. Before treatment and 12 months postsurgery all patients were examined and probing depths, clinical attachment levels, and position of the gingival margin were recorded. The primary response variable was the change in clinical attachment level in a horizontal direction (CAL-H change). Both treatment procedures reduced the probing depths (P < or = 0.001). Statistically significant gain of clinical attachment level in both horizontal and vertical direction was found at the test sites. At control sites gain of attachment in horizontal direction was statistically significant. The gain of CAL-H was 2.2 mm at test sites compared to 1.4 mm at control sites (P < or = 0.05). At test sites, the gingival margin was maintained close to the pre-surgical level (0.3 mm), whereas at control sites gingival recession was evident (0.9 mm), the difference being statistically significant (P < or = 0.01). Postsurgical complications, such as swelling and pain were more frequent following the control treatment (P < or = 0.05).

Retrospective estimations of dental care costs of periodontal and prosthodontic treatment and evaluation of oral health in 37 patients with advanced periodontal disease were carried out. Measures of their subjective evaluation of oral health 7-10 yr after the treatment are presented as a health profile and as indices in single numbers. The relations between oral health as an index and the dimensions in the health profile are analyzed. Dental care costs for treatment in the mandible was SEK 35 550, for the maxilla SEK 45 380 and for both jaws SEK 74 230. After the treatment oral health as well as general health were in excess of 75 on a 0 to 100 scale. Chewing ability, comfort and aesthetics were the variables found to significantly affect the subjective oral health. Oral health in terms of periodontal and prosthodontic conditions was maintained over the observation period.

A radiographic evaluation was made of the marginal bone height in youth, subject to different preventive dental care regimens. A test group consisted of 14-15-year-olds who for 4 years had received preventive dental care based on oral hygiene education, professional tooth cleaning and topical fluorides and/or mouth rinsings every 3rd week. A comparison group had been given solely fluoride mouth rinsings every 2nd week with no particular emphasis on oral hygiene measures. The radiographic evaluation showed average differences between the investigated groups of less than 0.3 mm in the distance from the cementoenamel junction to the alveolar bone crest. In the mandibular premolar-molar region of the comparison group, the marginal bone height differed significantly from the corresponding region in the test group. No such differences in the maxillary regions were noted. The clinical relevance of the results is discussed.