Background Alveolar bone grafting techniques and dental rehabilitation of patients with maxillary alveolar defects is a very challenging and costly procedure. Various methods have been described to reconstruct these defects in order to facilitate the placement of dental implants. The aim of this study was to assess three dimensional (3D) maxillary ridge augmentation using two innovative, accurate, and time saving protocols. Materials and Methods Sixteen patients (32 implants) with vertically and horizontally deficient maxillary alveolar ridges, were equally allocated into 2 groups; a mix of particulate autogenous and xenogenic bone grafts loaded in a prebent titanium mesh (Control group) vs patient specific poly‐ether‐ether ketone meshes (Study group). Radiographic assessment was performed preoperatively, 1 week and 6 months postoperatively. Assessment included measurements of linear changes in the vertical and horizontal dimensions on cross sectional cuts of cone beam computed tomography using special software. Finally; the percentage of 3D bone gain in each group was compared to that of the other. Results Wound healing was uneventful for all cases except one patient in each group were the meshes were exposed 2 weeks' postsurgery. There was no statistical significance between both groups (P value = 0.2). Conclusion Within the limitations of the sample size of this study, both techniques could be used as a successful method of ridge augmentation with no statistical significance between them.

AIM:The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) on bone formation in cystic defects following cyst enucleation.PATIENTS AND METHODS:The sample was composed of sixteen patients with enucleated maxillary bony cystic lesions. With an age range from 20 - 44 grouped as eight Laser and eight Control patients. Laser group was subjected to low intensity diode laser immediately after surgery and then for three times per week for two weeks using a therapeutic laser irradiation. Group B (control group): patients were not subjected laser therapy.RESULTS:The predictor variable was exposure of bone defect to LLLT or none. The outcome variable was bone density changes measured by digital radiographs at day 1 and days 90 postoperatively. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups for the bone density at day 1. There was a statistically significant difference in bone density changes in each group at day 90: Significant at P ≤ 0.05. After adjusting for differences in day 1 for bone density, the estimated mean change in bone density changes at day 90 was significantly larger for Laser compared with control.CONCLUSION:The results of this study suggested that LLLT can enhance bone healing in maxillary cystic defects. This can serve as an adjunct method in preventing possible delayed healing and pathological fractures This also will be helpful for more researchers in early loading in case of dental implants to accelerate osseointegration.

BACKGROUND: The main target of periodontal disease and alveolar bone defeat treatment is the regeneration of the lost structures. AIM: This work deals with the evaluation of the effect of functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), as grafting material in the management of furcation defects created in dogs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Potential cytotoxicity of the grafting material was assessed. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis after incubation of the grafting material in simulated body fluid (SBF) at pH 7.4 and 37°C for one week was done. In six healthy mongrel dogs' full-thickness mucoperiosteal flaps were raised on the buccal aspects to create two walls intrabony defects at the furcation areas. The mandibular premolar area received the grafting material. Histological evaluation was carried out at 1, 2- and 3-months’ period. RESULTS: Cytotoxicity results proved the safety of grafting material application. The prepared material exhibited good Ca-apatite crystal patterns at the surface revealed by SEM and high calcium content showed by EDX results. Good bone formation ability was also apparent histologically. CONCLUSION: The prepared grafting material (MWCNTs) can serve as a delivery vehicle for osteogenic cells and osteogenic growth factor proteins in the bone development process.

Aim Understanding the mental foramen (MF) position and prevalence and location of the anterior loop (AL) is important during clinical and surgical procedures close to the mental foramen to avoid damage to the neurovascular bundle. The current study was done to determine the location of the MF, its distance from the inferior border of the mandible, and prevalence of AL in Egyptian population using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods A retrospective analysis of CBCT images was done in this study. Images of Egyptian patients who have already been subjected to CBCT examination as part of their dental diagnosis and/or treatment planning were included according to the proposed eligibility criteria. Results This study showed that the most common location of the MF (43.8% on the left side and 67.9% on the right side) is located below the apex of the second premolar. The mean size of mental foramen showed a height of 3.32 mm in females, 3.60 mm in males, and a width of 3.41 mm in females and 3.59 mm in males. The mean value of distance from inferior border was 10.08 mm in females and 10.55 mm in males. Fifty-five percent of the cases showed presence of anterior loop. Conclusion These results are consistent with similar radiographic studies regarding size and location of MF and distances between MF and adjacent anatomic structures. The most common position of the MF is below the 2nd premolar. AL was found in more than half of the cases examined.

Background Many factors play a role in the long-term survival of osseointegrated dental implants. Among these, the preservation of crestal bone remains to be the key principal. The aim of this comparative study was to assess crestal bone loss (CBL) between tissue-level implants restored with platform matching abutments and bone-level implants restored with conical/platform switched hybrid abutments in the posterior molar region. Results All implants in both groups showed a 100% survival and success rate at 1 year. Mean CBL for group I was 0.8 mm (SD 0.85), and mean CBL for group II was 0.18 mm (SD 0.48). There was a statistically significant difference between the CBL in both groups (p < 0.001). The highest mean value was found in the tissue level group, while the lowest mean value was found in the bone level group. Conclusion Within the limitations of the sample size of this study, both implant designs showed minimal CBL at 1-year post-loading. Bone level implants with a platform switched conical hybrid connection showed less CBL compared to tissue level implants.