ObjectivesThe purpose of this preliminary study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a customized, three-dimensional, preformed titanium mesh as a barrier membrane for peri-implant alveolar bone regeneration.Materials and MethodsTen patients were recruited for this study. At the time of implant placement, all patients had fenestration or a dehiscence defect around the implant fixture. A mixture of particulate intraoral autologous bone and freeze-dried bone allograft was applied to the defect in a 1 : 1 volume ratio and covered by the preformed titanium mesh. A core biopsy specimen was taken from the regenerated bone four months postoperatively. Patients were followed for 12 months after the definitive prosthesis was placed.ResultsSatisfactory bone regeneration with limited fibrous tissue was detected beneath the preformed titanium mesh. Histologic findings revealed that newly formed bones were well-incorporated into the allografts and connective tissue. New growth was composed of approximately 80% vital bone, 5% fibrous marrow tissue, and 15% remaining allograft. All implants were functional without any significant complications.ConclusionThe use of preformed titanium mesh may support bone regeneration by maintaining space for new bone growth through its macro-pores. This preliminary study presents the efficacy of a preformed titanium mesh as a ready-to-use barrier membrane around peri-implant alveolar bone defect. This preformed mesh is also convenient to apply and to remove.

Purpose:The purpose of this prospective study was to compare the satisfaction levels of the patients worn implant supported mandibular overdentures and conventional complete dentures. Materials and methods: Full edentulous patients (n=40) who were planned to do implant supported mandibular overdentures, aged 51 to 82 years, were enrolled in this study. All subjects rated their satisfaction levels (mastication, pronunciation, esthetics, pain, and general satisfaction) of their original conventional dentures prior to treatment and their new overdentures 1 week and 12 weeks after the delivery on 10 cm visual analogue scales. Repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to compare the satisfaction level of each three period (P<.05). Results: The mean satisfaction levels of the implant supported overdentures after 1 week and 12 weeks of delivery were significantly higher than those of the conventional complete dentures in all scoring parameters (P<.05). After 12 weeks of overdenture delivery, the increase of the satisfaction levels in mastication, pronunciation, and pain and the decrease in esthetics and general satisfaction were observed in comparison with those after 1 week of delivery, however, no significant difference was found between the satisfaction levels of 1 week and 12 weeks after delivery. Conclusion: An implant supported overdenture might be one of the effective ways to give more satisfaction to patients who were not gratified with a conventional denture and eventually to improve their quality of life. (J Korean Acad Prosthodont 2015;53:1-8)

We evaluated a self-inflatable osmotic tissue expander for its utility in creating sufficient soft tissue elongation for primary closure after bone grafting. Six patients with alveolar defects who required vertical augmentation of >6 mm before implant placement were enrolled. All had more than three prior surgeries, and flap advancement for primary coverage was restricted by severely fibrosed scars. Expanders were inserted beneath the flap and fixed with a screw. After 4 weeks, expander removal and bone grafting were performed simultaneously. A vertical block autograft and guided bone regeneration and distraction osteogenesis were performed. Expansion was sufficient to cover the grafted area without additional periosteal incision. Complications included mucosal perforation and displacement of the expander. All augmentation procedures healed uneventfully and the osseous implants were successfully placed. The tissue expander may facilitate primary closure by increasing soft tissue volume. In our experience, this device is effective, rapid, and minimally invasive, especially in fibrous scar tissue.

Purpose: For aesthetic reasons, composite resin brackets are widely used. However, related studies are rare. This pilot study sought to compare the stress distributions in two commercially available composite resin brackets with metal slot. Materials and Methods: Two commercially available resin brackets-full-metal slot resin bracket (fSRB) and partial-metal slot resin bracket (pSRB) with straight wire appliance dimension of 0.022×0.028 in-were selected. In each bracket, 3-dimensional finite element models were constructed, and stress level was evaluated using finite element analysis. By loading the tipping force and torsion moment, which are similar to those applied by the stainless steel rectangular wire (0.019×0.025-in), stress distributions were calculated, and von Mises stress values were obtained. Results: In pSRB and fSRB, the stress value of the torque moment was much higher than that of the tipping force. The pSRB showed higher stress value than fSRB in both tipping force and torque moment because of the difference in size and configuration of the metal frame inserted into the slot. More stress was also found to be concentrated on the slot area than the wing area in fSRB. Conclusion: The slot form of fSRB was found to be more resistant to the stress of tipping and torque than the slot form of pSRB. In addition, the slot areas-rather than the wing areas-of the bracket showed breakage susceptibility. Therefore, resistance to the torque moment on the slot area should be considered in bracket design.