Scientometric Analysis of the World Scientific Production on Augmented and Virtual Reality in Dental Education.

AIM: The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications in dental education. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional research was carried out using a bibliometric methodology. This process entailed the assessment of metadata from scientific publications that are catalogued in the Scopus database, covering the period from January 2018 to August 2023. A variety of indicators were utilized to scrutinize scientific production and dissemination within the academic community. These encompassed elements such as the author, the publication itself, the number of citations, institutional and collaborative affiliations, geographical location, journal quartile ranking, h-index, Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP), Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI), SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), and the CiteScore. RESULTS: Several institutions from different countries and their academic output were found. Beihang University stands out with 16 scholarly articles, followed by Stanford University with 16 articles and 170 citations. The Q1 quartile has experienced a steady increase, reaching 87 scientific articles. The top 10 authors in scientific production on augmented and VR in dentistry include Joe Amal Cecil, Avinash Gupta, and Miguel A Pirela-Cruz. In terms of co-authorship by country, the United States, Germany, and China are the most predominant in the clusters represented. However, other clusters also have a significant presence. By analyzing the explored trends and themes of keyword co-occurrence, four main clusters were identified. The yellow cluster contained the largest amount of research with the keyword "virtual reality." In addition, the blue cluster was found to be best related to the green "simulation," purple "virtual reality (VR)," and light blue "human-centered computing" clusters. CONCLUSION: This study evidenced the availability and quality of the data used for the analysis. Future studies could consider the use of VR systems with integrated eye tracking and compare their effect in dentistry during dental procedures. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The clinical importance of this study lies in its potential to improve dental education. The VR and AR can provide dental students with immersive, hands-on learning experiences, which can enhance their understanding and clinical skills. Furthermore, the translational value of this study extends beyond dental education. The insights gained from this research could be applicable to other fields of medical education where hands-on training is crucial. Thus, the findings of this study have the potential to influence the broader landscape of medical education, ultimately leading to improved healthcare outcomes. How to cite this article: Alvitez-Temoche D, Silva H, Aguila ED, et al. Scientometric Analysis of the World Scientific Production on Augmented and Virtual Reality in Dental Education. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(4):358-364.

A 32-year global analyses on dynamic trends and geospatial visualization of genital tuberculosis and female infertility: A scientometric study.

Introduction: Genital tuberculosis (GT) is an infection that can affect the female reproductive system, including the uterus, cervix, and ovaries. Objective: To perform a scientometric exploration to analyze the spatiotemporal trend, evolution, and emerging patterns of scholarly output on GT and female infertility. Methods: An observational, descriptive, retrospective study employing a scientometric methodology was carried out. Metadata from scholarly articles spanning the years 1990-2022 were extracted from the Web of Science. The metadata from the chosen articles, totaling 172 manuscripts, were exported on May 17, 2023, in plain text format, which will allow the analysis and integration of the data in the software used. Results: We found at 111 sources and found 172 documents on tuberculosis and female infertility. We observed an average annual growth rate of 7.46 %, and the average age of the documents was 10.4 years. The dual overlay map showed the distribution of scientific publications on tuberculosis and female infertility. Journals on the left side of the map are cited mainly in the journals on the right. We found that Clinical Infectious Diseases and Lancet journals condensed patterns and trends in 1995, while the Indian Journal of Tuberculosis did so in 1996. Dheda K., Joubert JJ., and Wang Y. were the authors who had India, Iran, and China as their main affiliation, respectively, and they mainly published their studies in the "American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine" and "Tropical Doctor," among others. Conclusions: This bibliometric study examined different sources and found an average annual growth rate of 7.46 %. Each article received an average of 16.48 citations. Different collaborative networks between countries were observed. In addition, there was a steady growth in published research in the field of tuberculosis and female infertility.

Web of Science-Based Scientometric Assessment of the Importance of Filtered Water in Dentistry: Spatiotemporal Dynamics, Emerging Patterns, and Collaboration.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of scientific production related to the use of filtered water in the field of dentistry. Material and Methods. A quantitative and descriptive observational study was carried out with a scientometric approach. Data were collected from the Web of Science (WOS) database during the period January 1991 to December 2023. A search strategy incorporating a combination of MeSH terms, including terms and thesauri related to "filtered water" and "dentistry", was used. R Studio version 4.3.2 and CiteSpace 6.2.R7 were used for data analysis. Results: Over the 32-year study period, 227 scholarly papers from 134 different sources were reviewed. The literature in this field has shown an annual growth rate of 10.44%. During the year 2010, a steady movement in the number of publications and authors was observed, with considerable collaborative interaction. In the year 2020, a large interaction between publications and their citations was found. The "Citation Burst" graph identified three references that have experienced the largest "burst" of citations in an evaluated period. Lotka's law described the productivity of authors, finding that most authors have published only one paper, while a smaller number of authors have published two papers. Most authors contributed a small number of articles, while a few authors contributed a large amount of the existing literature. Conclusion: A comprehensive overview of the scientific production related to the use of filtered water in dentistry over a span of 32 years is provided. The results highlight the growing interdisciplinarity and international collaboration in this field. Finally, the importance of filtered water in dentistry and its growing relevance in the scientific literature are emphasized.

Current trends and spatial-temporal dynamics of veterinary dentistry research: A scientometric study.

Background and Aim: Understanding dental care in dogs has made remarkable progress in veterinary medicine. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the academic literature published in veterinary dentistry from 1990 to 2023. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted using a scientometric approach and metadata from the Web of Science database. A search strategy adapted for this database was developed using MeSH and Emtree terms and the Boolean operators AND and OR. Using Bibliometrix, different metrics were evaluated to assess the scientific production of researchers and institutions and the impact of authors based on their publications. CiteSpace was also used for co-citation analysis and visualization of citation networks, trends, and patterns in this field of study over time. Results: The bibliometric study analyzed 211 documents from 50 different sources from 1990 to 2023, with an annual growth rate of 6.5%, covering the period 1990-2023. A total of 474 authors were identified, with an average of 2.82 coauthors per paper and 11.85% international coauthorships. The average age of the papers was 12.4 years and 4.55 citations per paper. The most common types of documents were articles (154 documents). Conclusion: Research in veterinary dentistry has shown steady growth from 1990 to 2023. Although there have been fluctuations in article production over the years, there has been a steady growth in article production in veterinary dentistry in general. The annual average number of citations per article has varied over the years, reaching 45 in 2015. However, the average number of citations per article has decreased significantly from 2021 to 2023.

Zirconia Dental Implants as a Different Alternative to Titanium: A Literature Review.

Aim: This article aims to provide an overview of the scientific evidence comparing zirconium dental implants with titanium implants. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using the MEDLINE database accessed through PubMed and Scopus. The search included the keywords "dental implant," "zirconia dental implant," and "titanium dental implant" without any date restrictions. Results: The review examined research articles focusing on the physical and chemical characteristics of titanium and zirconia dental implants. Additionally, studies investigating the strength and translucency of zirconia, as well as the osseointegration of both materials, were analyzed. However, no conclusive evidence demonstrating the superiority of either material was found in the current literature. Conclusion: Taking into account the findings of this narrative study, no significant differences were identified between zirconium and titanium dental implants. Further scientific research is required to establish a definitive recommendation regarding the use of one material over the other.

Dynamicity, emerging patterns, and spatiotemporal trends of scientific production on the use of activated carbon in oral health: a scientometric study.

BACKGROUND: The use of activated carbon (AC) in oral hygiene products has gained significant interest; however, its potential benefits for oral health remain uncertain. This study aimed to conduct a scientometric analysis to examine the dynamicity, emerging patterns, and trends over time in scientific production concerning the use of AC in oral health. METHODS: The Web of Science database was searched for articles published between 2005 and 2022. Various bibliometric indicators, including the H-index, annual growth, Lotka's law, Bradford's law, and Sankey diagram, were used for data analysis. Overlay maps, timezone visualization, and three field plots were used to evaluate visualization patterns, time-temporal relationships, and trends. Information retrieval process was performed on March 11, 2023. RESULTS: The analysis revealed that only six studies constituted the top references with the highest number of citations in recent years, with Brooks' 2017 study demonstrating the most significant increase in citation. The dual-map overlay demonstrated a close citation relationship between cluster 4 (Molecular Biology Immunology) and the areas of Environmental, Toxicology, and Nutrition. The visualization graph of publication patterns indicated the journals that accumulated the highest number of citations during the study period. CONCLUSION: This scientometric study provides valuable insights into the use of AC in oral health and its impact on the field of dentistry. It determines the most productive journals, authors, and countries with the greatest influence. AC effectively removes pollutants and is gaining interest for use in dental effluent treatment. Thus, it may be a viable option for professionals.

Antibacterial Efficacy of Matricaria recutita Essential Oil against Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia: In Vitro Study.

AIM: To evaluate in vitro the antibacterial efficacy of Matricaria recutita (chamomile) essential oil at 50 and 75% against Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277 and Prevotella intermedia ATCC 25611 at 24 and 48 hours. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 80 discs and Mueller-Hinton Agar, the medium chosen for the culture. To determine the bacterial sensitivity, discs were placed in each Petri dish with concentrations of essential oil at 50 and 75%, distilled water and 0.12% chlorhexidine. Subsequently, the inhibition halos were measured in millimeters at 24 and 48 hours after culture, with the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. RESULTS: In groups treated with Porphyromonas gingivalis, measurements at 24 and 48 hours yielded 22.14 ± 2.61 and 22.63 ± 2.67 mm for 0.12% chlorhexidine, 18.90 ± 0.41 and 19.22 ± 0.54 mm for 75% essential oil, and 15.55 ± 0.45 and 15.77 ± 0.46 mm for 50% essential oil, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed among the groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: No significant differences were found between the antibacterial efficacy of 0.12% chlorhexidine and 50 and 75% essential oil of Matricaria recutita on Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia at 24 and 48 hours. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The study demonstrates that essential oil derived from Matricaria recutita may effectively combat bacteria associated with periodontal disease. This discovery has the potential to impact dental practice by introducing a natural treatment option. Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the clinical significance and potential applications of this finding.

Scientometric evaluation of trends and global characteristics of published research on occupational public health.

The objective of this scientometric study was to assess the global trends and characteristics of published occupational health research from 2016 to 2020. The SciVal tool (Elsevier) was used to perform the corresponding bibliometric analyses such as the Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI), Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP), CiteScore, and SCImago Journal Rank (SJR). Most of the manuscripts (46.5%) had national collaboration, with an average of 6.1 citations per paper. However, only 71 manuscripts (5.4%) presented single authorship (without collaboration). It was found that 486 manuscripts related to occupational health were published in Q2 journals (top 26-50%). Scientific publications on occupational health have increased remarkably worldwide, especially in Europe, and have mainly been published in Q1 and Q2 journals with a total of 292 and 289 scientific manuscripts in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Scholarly Output in Peruvian National Dentistry according to Gender Disparity: A 10-Year Bibliometric Study.

Objective: To evaluate Peruvian scientific publications in dentistry according to sex disparity (2011-2020). Methods: This was a retrospective bibliometric study. The unit of analysis was made up of Peruvian dentistry publications indexed in the Scopus database during the last 10 years. Records with metadata (410) corresponding to the period 2011-2020 were downloaded and standardized and refined by analyzing the metadata. The search strategy was developed based on the individual profiles of each Peruvian institution that has a dental school or college. It was evaluated according to the AF-ID of each institution in the Scopus database. In addition, the information provided by the Scopus SciVal tool was used. Finally, publications, impact, and collaboration indicators were used, such as total number per document, per author, average of citations, h-index, collaboration rate, number of institutions, the Source Normalized Impact per Paper indicator, the CiteScore, and the Scopus Field-Weighted Citation Impact. Results: The greatest increase was evident in 2018, with 2019 and 2020 being the maximum peak of scientific publication growth. However, sustained growth has not been evidenced in relation to the female sex. The analysis of coauthorship by the authors revealed four large clusters, of which the first three were represented by male researchers, such as Arriola-Guillen L., Mayta-Tovalino F., and Mendoza-Azpur G., and one by a female, Guerrero María E. Evaluating the national scientific publication in dentistry according to the CiteScore, it was found that most of the publications (145) from Peru were published in Q4 journals, although 90 manuscripts were published in Q1 journals. Conclusions: The Peruvian national dental publication in the last 10 years was mainly supported by male dentists, which invites us to reflect on the need to equalize opportunities so that female researchers can also reduce these gaps.

Comparison of the Microhardness of Surface Enamel Exposed to Anti-asthmatic Inhalants.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of anti-asthmatic inhalers salbutamol and budesonide on the surface microhardness of bovine tooth enamel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was experimental, prospective, longitudinal, and comparative. The sample consisted of permanent mandibular incisors, which were prepared in (n = 90) blocks of dental enamel of size 3 × 3 mm and 2 mm thick, separated into 6 groups of 15 specimens each in sterile bottles properly labeled and contained in artificial saliva at 37°C. Three measurements (baseline, 5 days, and 10 days) were performed after immersion to determine the microhardness using a Vickers microdurometer programmed to apply a load of 100 gm for 15 seconds. RESULTS: It was observed that the enamel surface microhardness decreased after 5 and 10 days, after being in contact with the anti-asthmatic inhalers based on salbutamol and budesonide. In addition, it was evidenced that there is a greater decrease in the superficial microhardness of the enamel when comparing the values at the beginning and after 10 days; likewise, the reduction in the microhardness of enamel exposed to budesonide was greater (120.8 kg/mm2) compared to salbutamol (112.3 kg/mm2) (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The two anti-asthmatic inhalers studied decreased superficial enamel microhardness, with the budesonide-based inhaler having a greater erosive effect. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This research allowed us to know the values of the microhardness of the superficial enamel after being exposed to different anti-asthmatic inhalers that are indicated in daily clinical practice. Therefore, it is important to evaluate this microhardness since the use of different inhalers is very prevalent.

Scientific Production on Monkeypox in Dentistry: A Bibliometric Analysis.

AIM: To analyze the characteristics and visibility of the scientific production of monkeypox in dentistry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A bibliometric study was carried out with the publications indexed in the Scopus database up to 22 September 2022. A search strategy was developed using Boolean operators "AND" and "OR," in addition to the MeSH term "monkeypox virus" (MPXV) in the subarea of dentistry. The bibliometric indicators were measured objectively with the SciVal program. RESULTS: Of the publications identified, 40% were indexed in first-quartile journals. India and Brazil are the countries with two published papers, while India has more views than the rest. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India are the institutions with the highest number of citations with respect to the world average (FWCI: 2.74). The International Dental Journal has a publication on monkeypox in the field of dentistry. India is the country with the most authors (06) who have published about the study. Samaranayake Lakshman Perera is the most productive and high-impact author. CONCLUSION: In the area of dentistry, scientific production on monkeypox is still scarce; however, the publications identified are mainly in high-impact indexed journals (Q1 and Q2). It is necessary to prioritize this disease as a line of research, in addition to articulating efforts between dental teams from different institutions. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It is necessary to demonstrate the characteristics of scientific publications on monkeypox in dentistry worldwide in order to have a panoramic view of the dynamics of scientific articles in this area.

Histological Comparison of Post-extraction Alveolar Bone Repair Treated with Melatonin and Calcium Sulfate: An In Vivo Study in Cavia porcellus.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To histologically compare alveolar bone repair after tooth extraction treated with melatonin and calcium sulfate in an in vivo experimental study in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was of longitudinal, prospective, and experimental design in an animal bio-model. A total of 24 male guinea pigs were included, weighing from 700 to 900 g and separated into two experimental groups (melatonin and calcium sulfate) for three periods (15, 30, and 45 days) at 15-day intervals after surgery. The guinea pigs were randomly included into groups for the time evaluated. RESULTS: In relation to bone repair cells using calcium sulfate, the presence of osteoblasts at 15, 30, and 45 days was 39.0 ± 63, 55.3 ± 6.0, respectively, with 61.3 ± 10.0 cells per field. Regarding bone repair cells using melatonin, the presence of osteoblasts at 15, 30, and 45 days was 25.0 ± 3.7, 49.3 ± 1.5, respectively, with 53.6 ± 5.6 cells per field. CONCLUSION: Both melatonin and calcium sulfate were found to be useful in bone repair at a histological and clinical level, although they present certain nonsignificant, albeit marked advantages in the bone repair process when compared with the control socket at the histological level. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This research allows us to know the usefulness of these easily accessible chemicals for the generation of bone repair.

Formulation and Development of an Experimental Polishing Paste with Antimicrobial Activity Based on Coturnix coturnix (Codorniz) Eggshell.

AIM: To formulate and develop a new experimental polishing paste based on Coturnix coturnix eggshell and to evaluate its abrasive, remineralizing, and antibacterial activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research was experimental, longitudinal, comparative, and prospective. To measure the antibacterial efficacy, analysis units consisted of wells were made. The microorganisms S. aureus, E. coli, E. faecalis, C. albicans, and S. mutans were inoculated with experimental paste (Coturnix coturnix quail eggshell base) and control paste (Universal Polishing and Diamond Excel) consisting of n = 12 for each group. RESULTS: It was found that, among the strains inoculated, the quail paste presented with the highest antimicrobial effectiveness to C. albicans and S. mutans with an average of 8.70 ± 0.14 and 11.65 ± 0.15 mm, respectively. On the other hand, the Universal Polishing paste only had an average of 7.00 ± 0.11 and 8.71 ± 0.11 mm for C. albicans and S. mutans, respectively. Significant differences were observed only in these two strains p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: The quail paste demonstrated antimicrobial efficacy against C. albicans and S. mutans compared to control paste, Diamond Excel, and Universal Polishing according to the time and type of microorganism.

Future Challenges of Covid-19 and Oral Manifestations in Daily Dental Practice: A Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE: Some patients reportedly present with oral manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). It is unknown if this is due to the virus itself or a side effect of treatment; however, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been shown to have a predilection for angiotensin-converting enzyme receptors that are present in the respiratory tract, oral mucosa, tongue, and salivary glands, causing alterations in taste and smell. Therefore, the objective of this review was to present the future challenges of Covid-19 and oral manifestations in daily dental practice through a literature review. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Scientific evidence in the databases Scopus and PubMed was searched using the Boolean operators. Articles published in Spanish and English between January and December 2020 were included. RESULTS: Of the 89 articles found in Scopus, 69 were of the open access type and 20 were in the "others" category; only 22 scientific articles were found in PubMed. CONCLUSION: It is important to take into account these clinical manifestations such as loss of taste and smell in order to detect the disease. Good oral hygiene is also recommended as a preventive measure to reduce viral load, which considerably reduces the probability of infecting other people who are in contact with the infected patient.

Accuracy between Functional Swallowing and Knebelman Craniometric Method to Measure Occlusal Vertical Dimension in Total Denture Wearers: A Quasi-experimental Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine the accuracy between functional swallowing (FS) and the Knebelman craniometric method (KCM) to measure occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) in total denture wearers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental, prospective study was conducted considering the KCM diagnostic method as the gold standard compared to FS. All the totally edentulous patients attended at the School of Dentistry of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (n = 32) in 2018-2019 were evaluated. Previous informed consent was obtained from all patients. A Knebelman's Craniometer was used to obtain longitudinal measurements measured in millimeters. The measurement was made with the Knebelman Craniometer by placing the tip into the external auditory canal inside the right meatus. On the other hand, for the FS method, the patients were seated comfortably with their back supported and their head in a natural position. Both upper and lower rollers were inserted into the mouth and the patient was instructed to swallow saliva for a period of 5min. RESULTS: When comparing the measurement of the OVD of KCM versus FS according to sex, men presented an OVD of 68.1 ± 3.9 mm, being 64.1 ± 3.8 mm in women. Accuracy was evaluated with an analysis of concordance between FS and the KCM in the determination of OVD in totally edentulous patients with a value of 0.97 (confidence interval = 0.31-0.99) (P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: There is a good concordance between the FS method and the KCM at the time of determining the OVD of edentulous patients using total prostheses.

Influence of the Surface Energy of Different Brands of Polymethyl Methacrylate on the Adherence of Candida albicans: An In Vitro Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the surface energy of different brands of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) on the adherence of Candida albicans ATCC 10231 in an in vitro study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study had an in vitro, longitudinal, and comparative experimental design. The following groups were made: (1) Vitacryl versus controls (water, dimethyl sulfoxide, glycerol, diethylene glycol, and formamide); (2) Triplex versus the same controls; (3) Vitacryl versus Triplex (surface energy); and (4) Vitacryl versus Triplex (adhesion per cell/field). Adhesion was measured in the area of each field magnified 10 × 10, and with an increase in magnification to 40 × 10, very dense colonies of 0.152 mm2 were observed. RESULTS: The surface energy of Vitacryl and Triplex was 40.3 ± 0.3 and 39.5 ± 0.3N/m, respectively, showing statistically significant differences (P < 0.001). On the contrary, in relation to the adhesion per cell/field of C. albicans, Vitacryl presented 15.7 ± 1.1, whereas Triplex had 16.7 ± 2.3, with no significant differences (P = 0.058). CONCLUSION: In relation to the adhesion per cell/field of C. albicans, there was no evidence of significant differences between Vitacryl and Triplex.

Forensic Evaluation of Highmore Antrum Sexual Dimorphism by Cone Beam Computed Tomography: A Retrospective Study of a Peruvian Population.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate Highmore antrum sexual dimorphism by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in a Peruvian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analytical study. The sample consisted of 190 CBCT scans. Inter-observer concordance was performed previously obtaining an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.99 for the width, length, and height of the right and left maxillary sinus. Then the dimensions of the maxillary sinus (left and right) were measured. All statistical analyses were performed using the Student's t test and Lambda de Wilks, establishing a level of significance of P < 0.05. RESULTS: It was observed that on the right side of the maxillary sinus there were only statistically significant differences between the width, height, area, perimeter, and volume of the Highmore's antrum and sex with a P < 0.05. Statistically significant differences were observed between sex and the width, height, area, perimeter, and volume of the Highmore's antrum in the right side of the maxillary sinus (P < 0.05), whereas the left side only showed statistically significant differences between the height and volume of the Highmore's antrum and sex (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The maxillary sinuses have significant sexual dimorphism, with the parameter of height showing the greatest dimorphism according to the discriminant analysis.

Management of Peri-implant Mucositis of Multiple Osseointegrated Implants Using a Modified Free Gingival Graft "Punch Technique" in the Total Edentulous Area: A Case Report.

The purpose of this case report was to describe a technique to modify the free gingival graft by perforations within the graft to guarantee a horizontal increase in the keratinized mucosa in the anteroinferior sector of a total edentulous mandible after osseointegration of previously placed dental implants in a hybrid prosthesis protocol. A 71-year-old male underwent free modified gingival graft surgery with perforations at the level of each implant. At 3 months, the mucosa appeared to be healthy and keratinized, especially at a horizontal level around the implants previously diagnosed with mucositis, providing the patient with satisfactory results. Finally, the hybrid prosthesis was cleaned and polished due to the presentation of a hard plate at the level of the abutments. Within the limitations of this case report, further research is needed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of this modification to the free gingival graft.

A Comparative Evaluation of Endodontically Treated Root Canals Obturated Using Gutta-percha with Two Different Protocols: An In-vitro Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to evaluate the quality of filling in endodontically treated root canals using the lateral condensation technique and modified lateral condensation technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two single-rooted teeth were divided into two groups that were assigned by simple randomization according to the filling technique. Once the endodontic treatment was performed, a periapical radiograph was taken to assess the quality according to the radiographic density and tomography was taken to evaluate the quality according to the tomographic volume of spaces, compared with the post-preparation biomechanical tomography. Finally, we performed a statistical analysis (Student's t-test) to evaluate whether there were differences between the types of filling. RESULTS: Radiographic radiodensity was 182.89 ± 9.81 and 186.72 ± 6.97 HU for teeth treated with the lateral condensation technique and modified lateral condensation technique, respectively. The void volume was 3.75 ± 2.35 and 2.43 ± 1.18 mm3 for teeth treated with the lateral condensation technique and modified lateral condensation technique, respectively. CONCLUSION: No significant differences were found between the techniques for both filling quality parameters.