The Libyan Dental Journal

YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIBYAN DENTAL JOURNAL IS ANOTHER PIECE OF MOSAIC TOWARDS COMPLETING THE ENTIRE ORAL HEALTH IMAGE!

Kamis Gaballah, Mahmoud Elbashti — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

SMALL THINGS HAVE A BIG IMPACT: NEW TRENDS IN IMPLANT DENTISTRY

Angel Mary Joseph, Suja Joseph, Nicholas Mathew, Ashwin Thomas Koshy — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In the twenty first century, nanotechnology has already offered numerous possibilities in implant dentistry. One nano step for man has resulted in a giant leap in implant dentistry. The advent of nanotechnology had created an opportunity for the engineering of new dental implant materials. This technology has also been used to enhance osseointegration by surface modifications of dental implants. Nanometre-controlled surfaces have ultimately directed the nature of peril-implant tissues and improved the clinical success rate of implant therapy. The possibilities introduced by nanotechnology now permit the tailoring of implant chemistry and structure. Nanotechnology in dental implantology has emerged as a frontier research area of interest in this decade. Long thought to be commercially uninhabitable, the once-barren nanotechnology landscape suddenly looks fertile. With the support of some brightest minds in science and engineering, this emerging field of super small is now firmly on the shortlist of technologies poised to produce big things in implant dentistry. In this article, we have made an attempt to review the current trends and future prospects on the impact of nanotechnology in implant dentistry.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SATISFACTION WITH COMPLETE DENTURES AND BASAL SEAT CHARACTERISTICS

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Aim: To investigate the relationship between patients self perceived satisfaction and basal seat characteristics in edentulous patients attending a teaching hospital in Lagos.
Materials and Methods: Consecutive edentulous patient seen for 6 months in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos were recruited for this longitudinal study. The data collected were basal seat characteristics and self perceived satisfaction.
Results: A total of 30 patients were seen but only 24 complied with the study protocol. The use of objective assessment in classifying maxillary residual ridge showed that there was a significant association (P=0.045) between the ridge and self perceived satisfaction. There was no significant association between self perceived satisfaction and shape of mandibular ridge, palatal vault and vestibular depth.
Conclusion: There was a significant association between shape of maxillary residual ridge and self perceived satisfaction. Objective preclinical assessment of residual ridge may help to project satisfaction and determine treatment option.

BIOMEDICAL PUBLICATIONS PRODUCTIVITY OF ORAL AND DENTAL MEDICINE FROM LIBYA (PUBMED 2003-2013)

Rahma Ahmed — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of this short communication study was to investigation the trends of biomedical publications productivity of oral and dentistry field from Libya using the most popular biomedical search engine PubMed with focus on Libyan academic institutions. This search was performed on articles that were related to dentistry and oral medicine using the affiliation of Libya for the period 2003-2013. A total of 358 biomedical published articles were retrieved of which only 40 were related to oral and dentistry medicine. In conclusion, this investigation shows a very low productivity and weak distribution of biomedical research in oral and dentistry medicine productivity throughout Libya.

THE ROLE OF DIGITAL TREATMENT PLANNING IN MAXILLOFACIAL PROSTHETICS

Mahmoud Elbashti, Yuka Sumita — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Advances in treatment planning have changed patients’ expectations of the functional and aesthetic outcomes of maxillofacial prosthetic treatments. This case report describes and discusses the role of digital technology in the treatment planning of a facial prosthesis for a patient with complex maxillofacial prosthetic needs. A 75-year-old man was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the left maxillary sinus. The tumor was surgically resected and resulted in extensive tissue loss. The four key elements of visualization, design, manufacture, and evaluation were considered in digital treatment planning of the facial prosthesis; the first two are discussed in this report. The defect areas were three-dimensionally digitized using computed tomography and stereophotogrammetry. The scanned data were saved as a standard tessellation language file. From these data, virtual three-dimensional models were created for treatment planning options. With the aid of computer-aided design software, two types of facial prostheses were designed: an open-eye
prosthesis and a closed-eye prosthesis. These designs were discussed with the patient to determine the one most suitable to meet his aesthetic expectations. Patients’ expectations of treatment options can be improved through the virtual visualization and design offered by digital treatment planning. This case report confirms the applicability of digital treatment planning in managing patients with complex maxillofacial prosthetic needs.