The Use of Biocompatible Membranes in Oral Surgery: The Past, Present & Future Directions. A Narrative Review.

The use of biocompatible membranes in periodontal and oral surgery is an important part of regeneration. Over the years, several different membranes have been developed, ranging from non-resorbable membranes that have to be removed in a separate procedure, to collagen membranes that completely resorb on their own, thus avoiding the need for a second surgery. Autogenous membranes are becoming increasingly popular in more recent years. These membranes can be used with a great variety of techniques in the four main hard tissue regenerative procedures: guided tissue regeneration, alveolar ridge preservation, guided bone regeneration and sinus floor augmentation. A review of the literature was conducted in order to identify the most commonly used membranes in clinical practice, as well as the most promising ones for regeneration procedures in the future. The information provided in this review may serve as a guide to clinicians, in order to select the most applicable membrane for the clinical case treated as the correct choice of materials may be critical in the procedure's success.

The Palatal Approach for Direct Maxillary Sinus Floor Elevation: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: The traditional techniques of maxillary sinus floor elevation via a direct or indirect approach are suitable for the majority of cases. However, in cases of unfavorable anatomy and/or a thick lateral bony wall, we propose here a new approach for sinus floor elevation. CASE PRESENTATION: Forty-two-year-old female presents for sinus floor elevation after a failed attempt due to anatomical limitations and intraoperative complications. During the second surgical procedure, the access to the sinus membrane was performed from the palatal side due to thickness of the buccal wall ranging from 6 to 9 mm and the presence of septa. The sinus augmentation was successful, allowing for future implant placement. CONCLUSION: In selected cases, when the anatomy of the maxillary sinus poses limitations and the lateral wall thickness requires significant bone removal, the palatal approach is a valid alternative to the traditional sinus augmentation techniques.

Local Oral Delivery Agents with Anti-Biofilm Properties for the Treatment of Periodontitis and Peri-Implantitis. A Narrative Review.

Despite many discoveries over the past 20 years regarding the etiopathogenesis of periodontal and peri-implant diseases, as well as significant advances in our understanding of microbial biofilms, the incidence of these pathologies continues to rise. For this reason, it was clear that other strategies were needed to eliminate biofilms. In this review, the literature database was searched for studies on locally delivered synthetic agents that exhibit anti-biofilm properties and their potential use in the treatment of two important oral diseases: periodontitis and peri-implantitis.

Peri-Implant Diseases: Diagnosis, Clinical, Histological, Microbiological Characteristics and Treatment Strategies. A Narrative Review.

Since the use of dental implants is continuously increasing, it is imperative for dental practitioners to understand the nature and treatment of peri-implant diseases. The purpose of this manuscript is to comprehensively review peri-implant diseases, their characteristics, as well as their non-surgical and surgical treatment. To that end, the current literature was searched and a narrative review was conducted. It is essential that the case definitions described in the 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions are used to diagnose and classify peri-implant health, peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis. While recent epidemiologic studies on peri-implant diseases exist, there is great heterogeneity in the definition of these conditions. Several risk factors and indicators are reported in the literature, with smoking and diabetes being the most universally accepted. In peri-implant mucositis, non-surgical treatment seems to be sufficient. However, for the treatment of peri-implantitis, a surgical approach, which includes open-flap debridement, apically positioned flap and guided bone regeneration, is considered more appropriate. A great variety of adjuncts to mechanical treatment have been reported with controversial results. Finally, studies comparing results from different peri-implantitis treatments are warranted in randomized controlled clinical trials in order to provide stronger evidence-based approaches.