A systematic review of zirconia as an implant material.

The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the published data concerning zirconia dental implants from various aspects. To identify relevant literature an electronic search was performed of PubMed. Titles and abstracts were screened and articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected for a full-text reading. Articles were divided into four groups: 1) studies evaluating the mechanical properties of zirconia implants, 2) studies on osseointegration of zirconia, 3) studies on peri-implant tissue response to zirconia implant, and 4) studies on plaque accumulation with zirconia. Review of the selected articles showed that zirconia implants are reliable for placement in the jaw bone. Furthermore, zirconia implants present a material surface that is compatible with the peri-implant tissue and relatively less attractive to plaque. Based on the reviewed literature, it appears that zirconia has the potential to become the dental implant material of choice, especially for aesthetic restorations; however, some issues need to be studied further.

Evaluation of the effect of different surface treatments on the retention of posts: A laboratory study.

Background and Objectives : There are numerous post and core systems variety of materials. Several methods are used to increase the retentive strength.The present study was conducted with the purpose of analysis of the effect of surface treatment with ethyl alcohol, resin primer and air-borne alumina particle abrasion on retention of glass fiber posts, carbon fiber posts and cast metal posts Materials and Methods : Surface treatment of glass fiber posts, carbon fiber posts and cast metal posts was done with ethyl alcohol, resin primer and air-borne alumina particle abrasion and cemented with dual cure resin cement into the post spaces prepared in the teeth. For the Retentive force test, a screw driven universal testing machine was used to apply tensile load to the post. The force required to dislodge each post from prepared post space was recorded. Statistical Analysis : Comparison of the mean retentive strength was done using two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni method for multiple comparisons. Results : Significant difference in the retentive strength between air borne alumina particle abrasion and resin primer treated posts was (P < 0.001) noticed. Further, there was no significant difference between ethyl alcohol and resin primer treated posts Conclusion : Air-borne alumina particle abrasion increased the retentive strength of all the type of posts used in this study. Treating the surface of the posts with resin-primer and ethyl alcohol produced no statistically significant difference in the retentive strength.

Prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with microstomia.

Microstomia is defined as an abnormally small oral orifice which can be due to various factors. Microstomia is a definite prosthodontic hindrance to carry out the different treatment successfully. To rehabilitate a patient with microstomia, successfully, the methods and designs incorporated in the prosthesis have to be modified. In the past, various techniques have been tried, incorporating certain biological and scientific methods to rehabilitate patients with microstomia. This article reviews the previously described treatment modalities in case of patients with microstomia.