Rediscovering Sig Socransky, the genius and his legacy.

Some individuals make contributions so vital to their field of knowledge that their names become almost synonymous with that field. This is the case of Sig Socransky and the field of periodontal microbiology. Sig Socransky, or simply Sig, was born in Toronto, Canada and received his DDS degree from the University of Toronto in 1957. He studied microbiology and periodontology at Harvard, receiving a certificate in 1961. That same year he was recruited to work as a Research Associate at the Forsyth Dental Center. In 1968, he was nominated Senior Member of the Staff and Head of the Department of Periodontology. During his 50-year career at Forsyth, Sig published over 300 manuscripts, keeping an average of 7 publications per year. His work had an indelible impact in the fields of periodontology and oral microbiology. All these accomplishments pale in comparison with the impact that Sig had on a personal level. We have collected testimonials from some of his former students, closest collaborators, and friends in an attempt to give readers an insight into Sig's personality. We hope we can offer those who knew him through his work a glimpse of how it felt to interact with this remarkable individual.

Achieving quality esthetic dentistry and integrated comprehensive care with new generation techniques and materials.

BACKGROUND: Prosthodontics is the dental specialty responsible for diagnosis, rehabilitation and maintenance of patients with complex clinical conditions involving missing or deficient teeth and/or craniofacial tissues. The essence of the specialty is expert treatment planning. OVERVIEW/LITERATURE REVIEWED: In recent years, new approaches and technology have been introduced as a result of research performed in universities and by industry. The field of prosthodontics continues to evolve owing to a better understanding of the biology of the oral cavity and the introduction of new techniques and improved biomaterials. Improvements in periodontal and oral surgical techniques, implant procedures and materials, esthetic restorative materials, and jaw tracking recorders and articulators have led to enhanced functional and esthetic oral and maxillofacial prostheses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The complexities of today's technical and clinical procedures and the higher expectations for more esthetically pleasing dentistry by the general patient population have placed a premium on teamwork involving general dentists, specialists and dental technicians.

Survival of Dicor glass-ceramic dental restorations over 16 years. Part III: effect of luting agent and tooth or tooth-substitute core structure.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The influence of different types of restorative design features on the long-term survival of Dicor glass-ceramic restorations is only partially understood. PURPOSE: This study examined the effect of different types of luting agents and preparation core structures on the survival of Dicor glass-ceramic restorations functioning in vivo. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1444 Dicor glass-ceramic restorations were placed on the teeth of 417 adults. Failure was defined as a restoration that required remake because of material fracture. The survival of restorations of different types, with different luting agents and preparation core structures, was described with Kaplan-Meier survival functions. The significance of differences in survival between different tooth or tooth-substitute preparation core structures and different luting agents was determined with the log-rank test. RESULTS: The probability of survival of a typical acid-etched Dicor restoration luted to gold preparation core structures was 91% at 16 years compared with 75% for dentin preparation core structures (P<.01). The survival of acid-etched Dicor restorations luted to dentin preparations was significantly better than nonacid-etched restorations luted to dentin. Acid-etched Dicor restorations luted with resin composite exhibited a more favorable survival function than those luted with glass ionomer (P<.01) and zinc phosphate (P<.05). Differences between restorations luted with glass ionomer or zinc phosphate agents were not significant. CONCLUSION: Acid-etched Dicor restorations luted to gold preparation core structures exhibited significantly better intraoral survival than restorations luted to dentin. Acid-etched Dicor restorations survived better than nonacid-etched restorations when luted to dentin preparations. Acid-etched Dicor restorations luted with resin composite exhibited more favorable survivor functions than restorations luted with glass ionomer or zinc phosphate agents.

Prosthodontics: achieving quality esthetic dentistry and integrated comprehensive care.

BACKGROUND: Prosthodontics is the dental specialty responsible for diagnosis, rehabilitation and maintenance of patients with complex clinical conditions involving missing or deficient teeth and/or craniofacial tissues. The essence of the specialty is expert treatment planning. OVERVIEW/LITERATURE REVIEWED: In recent years, new approaches and technology have been introduced as a result of research performed in universities and by industry. The field of prosthodontics continues to evolve owing to a better understanding of the biology of the oral cavity and the introduction of new techniques and improved biomaterials. Improvements in periodontal and oral surgical techniques, implant procedures and materials, esthetic restorative materials, and jaw tracking recorders and articulators have led to enhanced functional and esthetic oral and maxillofacial prostheses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The complexities of today's technical and clinical procedures and the higher expectations for more esthetically pleasing dentistry by the general patient population have placed a premium on teamwork involving general dentists, specialists and dental technicians.

Survival of Dicor glass-ceramic dental restorations over 14 years. Part II: effect of thickness of Dicor material and design of tooth preparation.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The influence of different restorative design features on the long-term survival of Dicor glass-ceramic restorations is not well understood. PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship of different types of restorations and methods of preparation with the survival of Dicor glass-ceramic restorations functioning in vivo. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1444 Dicor glass-ceramic restorations were placed on the teeth of 417 adults. Failure was defined as a restoration that required remake because of material fracture. Survival of restorations of different types and with different methods of preparation was described by using Kaplan Meier survivor functions. Statistical significance between restoration type and preparation method was determined with the log rank test. RESULTS: Probability of survival of a typical partial coverage restoration was 92% at 11.3 years. There was no statistically significant difference between the survival of inlay or onlay restorations. For the 91 cores used for pulpless teeth, none failed over a total cumulative monitoring period of 419 years. There was no significant difference in survival of acid-etched Dicor restorations that were placed on shoulder or chamfer preparations. Thickness measured at the midpoint of the labial, lingual, mesial, distal, and midocclusal surfaces did not relate to risk of failure. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of Dicor glass-ceramic partial coverage inlay and onlay restorations and cores survived over time. Survival of restorations with either chamfer or shoulder preparations did not differ whether the restoration was acid-etched. Thickness of the restoration measured at the midaxial point of each surface did not relate to survival.

Survival of Dicor glass-ceramic dental restorations over 14 years: Part I. Survival of Dicor complete coverage restorations and effect of internal surface acid etching, tooth position, gender, and age.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: There are no long-term data on Dicor glass-ceramic restoration survival in the human oral cavity and the effect that different technical and clinical variables have on survival. PURPOSE: This prospective study examined the relationship of different clinical parameters on the survival of Dicor glass-ceramic restorations in the human oral cavity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 417 subjects (from 17 to 91 years of age) participated. All subjects required single unit fixed prosthodontics in any area of the mouth and/or 3-unit fixed partial dentures or cantilevered anterior restorations. They were offered the option of a gold or conventional metal-ceramic restoration, or a Dicor restoration with potentially improved esthetic results, better wear characteristics, and diminished oral plaque accumulation. Overall survival of the restorations was determined and the effect of various clinical parameters evaluated with Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Log rank tests were used to determine statistically significant differences among parameters. RESULTS: For the 1444 units placed, 188 failures were recorded. Total time at risk for the units was 7319 years providing an estimated risk of 2.45% per year. Probabilities of survival of "typical" acid-etched Dicor and nonacid-etched Dicor restorations were 76% and 50%, respectively, at 14.1 years (P <.001). Probabilities of survival of typical acid-etched and nonacid-etched Dicor complete coverage restorations were virtually identical to those observed in the full data set. There was a 2.2 times greater risk of failure associated with the use of nonacid-etched Dicor complete coverage than acid-etched restorations (P <.01). Complete coverage restoration survival was highest in the incisor region and decreased to the molars in both arches. Second molars showed the highest failure rate. No complete coverage restorations failed on lateral incisors during the entire study. Probability of survival of a typical acid-etched Dicor complete coverage restoration in male subjects was 71%, and 75% for female subjects at 14.1 years (P <.01). The major difference appeared to be due to a greater failure rate in the maxillary arch of the male. Survivor functions of acid-etched Dicor complete coverage restorations for subjects in <33 years, 33 to 52 years, and 52 years age groups were 88% at 9 years, 62% at 14 years, and 82% at 14 years, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Dicor restorations can survive successfully over time with certain reservations. Long-term survival improved significantly when restorations were acid-etched before luting. Complete coverage restoration failures per year decreased from molars to incisors in both arches, suggesting that complete coverage restorations on molars represented a serious risk. No Dicor complete coverage restoration on lateral incisors failed during the study. Restorations failed less often in female than male subjects.

The interdisciplinary relationship between prosthodontics and dental technology.

Prosthodontists are often unaware of difficulties faced by dental technicians. Likewise, dental technicians may be unaware of difficulties faced by prosthodontists. By being better educated about one another's discipline, prosthodontists and technicians can establish cooperative goals and help each other to identify significant facts and potential difficulties posed by specific materials, techniques, or stages of the work in progress. This article describes specific procedures for prosthesis fabrication and the opportunities each step provides for such cooperation. The steps include diagnostic waxing, provisional restoration, fabrication of master dies, tooth preparation, fabrication of intraoral records, treatment waxing, selection of materials, use of ceramic mucosal simulations, and color selection. If the prosthodontist and dental technician are willing to share responsibility for treatment plans, their mutual understanding can bring new insight to old problems and provide intellectual stimulation to both.

Prosthodontic management of temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain.

Guidelines for advanced education in prosthodontics describe specific competency levels. The complex nature of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and oral facial pain requires a multidisciplinary team. However, the multifactorial nature of this malady places some aspects of this disease beyond the traditional education of a prosthodontist. The management goals for the prosthodontist as a member of a TMD team are patient comfort, occlusal stability, and/or the complex restoration of teeth.

Periodontics and prosthodontics: goals, objectives, and clinical reality.

Prosthodontics and periodontics are collaborative disciplines. A successful prosthesis depends on a healthy periodontal environment, and periodontal health depends on the continued integrity of the prosthodontic restoration. To facilitate this collaboration, prosthodontists should not only appreciate the periodontic implications of gingival displacement procedures and tooth preparation, but should be knowledgeable about the types of gingival tissues, osseous topography, occlusal effects, and their implications for abutment choice. Working as a team, the periodontist can identify for the prosthodontist a patient's periodontal strengths and limitations. In that way, the prosthodontist can then assume responsibility for a given treatment plan based on a mutual understanding of the critical factors involved.

The cast glass-ceramic restoration.

The use of Dicor cast glass-ceramic material for fixed prosthodontic complete crowns has been described. The advantages of this material are chemical and physical uniformity, marginal accuracy, uncomplicated fabrication from wax-up to casting, ceramming, and coloring, ease of adjustment, excellent esthetics resulting from natural translucency, light absorption, light refraction, and natural color for the crown, and its inherent resistance to bacterial plaque.

Effect of retraction procedures on the periodontium in humans.

On the basis of wound healing and gingival recession caused by the three procedures, the copper-band retraction method was the most satisfactory. This tentative conclusion is based on the following reasons: 1. Retraction methods must be evaluated relative to the impression procedure and fit of the restoration. The long-range effects of the marginal fit are probably the most important factor for enhancing periodontal health. 2. This study involved only healthy periodontia of adolescent patients. Different healing might be observed in tissues characterized by gingivitis or periodontitis. 3. A broader study involving a greater range of procedures and conditions is recommended to evaluate each retraction technique. 4. This study involved teeth which had an adequate zone of attached gingiva. More complicated healing and perhaps altered sequences might be observed if the procedures were performed on gingival margins of alveolar mucosa, thin gingival walls, or areas of root prominence and thin cortical bone.