Salivary reservoir designs for patients with xerostomia: a review

Aim: The present paper aims to review the literature available on various approaches to salivary reservoir designs, the functional aspects, cleansibility, type of attachments used, and different techniques used for the fabrication of salivary reservoirs in patients suffering from xerostomia. Material and Methods: A search in the National Library of Medicine's Pub Med database, Google search and Science Direct was performed to include all case reports and reviews on prosthodontic rehabilitation of dentulous/partially edentulous/edentulous patient with xerostomia. Results: Out of the 35 articles found in the database search, 18 articles were included based on the designs they adopted for fabrication of salivary reservoirs. Conclusions: The various designs available in literature enable an operator to choose the most suitable reservoir design based on specific patient requirements. Innovations in reservoir design promise a more customized prosthesis for every patient. Further research and innovation will enable increasingly efficient salivary substitute delivery systems for the xerostomic patient.

Repair of fractured abutment teeth under pre-existing crowns: An alternative approach.

This article describes a technique for repair of abutment tooth which fractured during removal of a provisional restoration before bisque trial. The technique uses plastic templates to fabricate new composite core foundation for the existing crowns. This technique helps the dentist to rebuild the core in a single appointment.

Chlorhexidine allergy due to topical application.

Chlorhexidine is commonly used in dentistry in various forms. Allergic reactions to chlorhexidine of both immediate and delayed type have been reported. Although the incidence is low there may be severe manifestations in some patients. This report presents a case of allergy to chlorhexidine following topical application.

A comparison of the accuracy of patterns processed from an inlay casting wax, an auto-polymerized resin and a light-cured resin pattern material.

Background: Traditionally, inlay casting waxes have been used to fabricate patterns for castings. Newer resin pattern materials offer greater rigidity and strength, allowing easier laboratory and intraoral adjustment without the fear of pattern damage. They also claim to possess a greater dimensional stability when compared to inlay wax. Aims: This study attempted to determine and compare the marginal accuracy of patterns fabricated from an inlay casting wax, an autopolymerized pattern resin and a light polymerized pattern resin on storage off the die for varying time intervals. Materials and Methods: Ten patterns each were fabricated from an inlay casting wax (GC Corp., Tokyo, Japan), an autopolymerized resin pattern material (Pattern resin, GC Corp, Tokyo, Japan) and a light-cured resin pattern material (Palavit GLC, Hereaus Kulzer GmbH, Germany). The completed patterns were stored off the die at room temperature. Marginal gaps were evaluated by reseating the patterns on their respective dies and observing it under a stereomicroscope at 1, 12, and 24 h intervals after pattern fabrication. Results: The results revealed that the inlay wax showed a significantly greater marginal discrepancy at the 12 and 24 h intervals. The autopolymerized resin showed an initial (at 1 h) marginal discrepancy slightly greater than inlay wax, but showed a significantly less marginal gap (as compared to inlay wax) at the other two time intervals. The light-cured resin proved to be significantly more dimensionally stable, and showed minimal change during the storage period. Conclusion: The resin pattern materials studied, undergo a significantly less dimensional change than the inlay waxes on prolonged storage. They would possibly be a better alternative to inlay wax in situations requiring high precision or when delayed investment (more than 1 h) of patterns can be expected.

Custom sectional impression trays with interlocking type handle for microstomia patients.

Making impressions in microstomia patients is often cumbersome. A modification of standard impression procedure is often necessary while treating such patients. This article describes the fabrication of a custom sectional impression tray with interlocking type of a handle for definitive impression procedures in a microstomia patient.