Endoscope-assisted Surgical Removal of an Ectopic Wisdom Tooth Below Lower Border of the Mandible - A Case Report.

The Rationale: Presentation of a case where using an endoscope aided the removal of a significantly displaced mandibular third molar. Patient Concerns: Pain and infection associated with the ectopic wisdom tooth, increased risks with conventional surgical removal. Diagnosis: Chronic infection associated with the displaced, ectopic left lower third molar (LL8). Difficult surgical access and increased operative risk, with the tooth positioned lingually, below the lower border of the mandible. Treatment: Surgical removal was undertaken with the aid of a 30°-angled endoscope. This provided superior visualisation and allowed for a minimally invasive technique. Outcomes: The surgeon reported that the endoscope allowed for increased efficiency and ease of surgery. The patient experienced minimal postoperative pain and no long-term complications. Take-away Lessons: Endoscopes can aid surgeons in cases with difficult access and increased risks. In this case, the endoscope allowed for a minimally invasive technique, minimising the risks of surgery, and reducing postoperative morbidity.

Effect of the use of a surgical guide on heat generation during implant placement: A comparative in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: Heat generation is considered a decisive factor in the occurrence of bone necrosis during implant placement, which can happen when the temperature exceeds a threshold of 47°C for 1 min. The use of a surgical guide to aid implant placement has gained popularity in the last few years. Whether it increases the risk of bone necrosis is still debatable. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to compare heat generation during implant placement with and without the use of a surgical guide. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study sample consisted of 80 measurement sites placed near 40 dental implant sockets, which were prepared on 10 bone-like dental models. These models were divided into 5 models for the conventional method group and 5 models for the surgical guide group. Each model had 4 implant sockets prepared, and then two 1-millimeter-wide holes were drilled <1 mm away from the socket on the opposite sides of the implant socket to be used as temperature measurement sites. The diameter of the drill was standardized to 2.2 mm, and 4 different drill lengths were used (6, 8, 10, and 12 mm). The data was analyzed using the SPSS for Windows software, v. 13.0. A p-value of <0.05 was deemed statistically significant. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in heat generation between the conventional group (41.07°C) and the surgical guide group (42.97°C) (p < 0.05). Significant changes in temperature were recorded after drilling, regardless of the method used (p < 0.05). Moreover, the length of the drill was associated with temperature changes, with longer drills generating more heat (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, the use of a surgical guide resulted in higher temperatures as compared to the conventional method of implant placement. However, the highest recorded temperature was far below the threshold for bone necrosis.

Correction to: Comparison of three different methods of internal sinus lifting for elevation heights of 7 mm: an ex vivo study.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.