Objectives: Implant placement in molar extraction sockets can be difficult due to complex multi-root anatomy and the lack of predictable primary stability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of an 8 - 9 mm diameter tapered implant, designed to be placed in molar extraction sockets.

Material and Methods: Patients treated at least 1 year before with a Max^® implant (Southern Implants, Irene, South Africa) were invited for a clinical examination. Variables collected were surgical and prosthetic protocol, implant dimension and smoking habits. Peri-implant bone level was determined on peri-apical radiographs and compared to baseline, being implant insertion.

Results: 98 implants had been placed in 89 patients. One implant had failed. Thirty eight patients representing 47 implants (maxilla 26, mandible 21) were available for clinical examination. Mean bone loss was 0.38 mm (SD 0.48; range - 0.5 – 1.95) after a mean follow-up of 20 months (range 12 - 35). Implant success was 97.9%. Around 30 implants, a bone substitute was used to fill the residual space, but this did not affect the bone loss outcome. Bone loss was only significantly different between maxilla and mandible (0.48 mm vs. 0.27 mm) and between the 8 and 9 mm diameter implants (0.23 mm vs. 0.55 mm). A full papilla was present at 71% of the interproximal sites and irrespective of bone loss.

Conclusions: The Max^® implant demonstrated good primary stability, when placed in molar extraction sockets, with limited bone loss over time.

Objectives: We aimed to compare the standard methods of cephalometry and two-dimensional photogrammetry, to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of both methods.

Material and Methods: Twenty-six patients (mean age 25.5, standard deviation (SD) 5.2 years) with Class II relationship and 23 patients with Class III relationship (mean age 26.4, SD 4.7 years) who had undergone bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy were selected, with a median follow-up of 8 months between pre- and postsurgical evaluation. Pre- and postsurgical cephalograms and lateral photograms were traced and changes were recorded.

Results: Pre- and postsurgical measurements of hard tissue angles and distances revealed higher correlations with cephalometrically performed soft tissue measurements of facial convexity (Class II: N-PG, r = - 0.50, P = 0.047; Class III: ANB, r = 0.73, P = 0.005; NaPg, r = 0.71, P = 0.007;) and labiomental angle (Class II: SNB, r = 0.72, P = 0.002; ANB, r = - 0.72, P = 0.002; N-B, r = - 0.68, P = 0.004; ANS-Gn, r = 0.71, P = 0.002; Class III: ANS-Gn, r = 0.65, P = 0.043) compared with two-dimensional photogrammetry. However, two-dimensional photogrammetry revealed higher correlation between lower lip length and cephalometrically assessed angular hard tissue changes (Class II: SNB, r = 0.98, P = 0.007; N-B, r = 0.89, P = 0.037; N-Pg, r = 0.90, P = 0.033; Class III: SNB, r = - 0.54, P = 0.060; NAPg, r = - 0.65, P = 0.041; N-Pg, r = 0.58, P = 0.039).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that cephalometry and two-dimensional photogrammetry offer the possibility to complement one another.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate calcium phosphate precipitation and the amount of precipitated protein on three potentially bioactive surfaces when adding laminin in simulated body fluid.

Material and Methods: Blasted titanium discs were prepared by three different techniques claimed to provide bioactivity: alkali and heat treatment (AH), anodic oxidation (AO) or hydroxyapatite coating (HA). A blasted surface incubated in laminin-containing simulated body fuid served as a positive control (B) while a blasted surface incubated in non laminin-containing simulated body fuid served as a negative control (B-). The immersion time was 1 hour, 24 hours, 72 hours and 1 week. Surface topography was investigated by interferometry and morphology by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Analysis of the precipitated calcium and phosphorous was performed by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and the adsorbed laminin was quantified by iodine (¹²⁵I) labeling.

Results: SEM demonstrated that all specimens except for the negative control were totally covered with calcium phosphate (CaP) after 1 week. EDX revealed that B- demonstrated lower sum of Ca and P levels compared to the other groups after 1 week. Iodine labeling demonstrated that laminin precipitated in a similar manner on the possibly bioactive surfaces as on the positive control surface.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that laminin precipitates equally on all tested titanium surfaces and may function as a nucleation center thus locally elevating the calcium concentration. Nevertheless further studies are required to clarify the role of laminin in the interaction of biomaterials with the host bone tissue.

Background: T-cell large granular lymphocytic (T-LGL) leukemia is a rare, chronic, often indolent lymphoproliferative disorder of mature T cells (CD3+). Severe neutropenia and other cytopenias are common features in patients with T-LGL leukemia and may cause infections, thus representing a major cause of morbidity in this disease. Immunosuppressive therapy with low-dose regimes of methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, corticosteroids or cyclosporine A is the treatment of choice. Amongst the variety of T-LGL leukemia complications, oral manifestations such as ulcers have been rarely reported. The purpose of this paper is to report a case of T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia with oral manifestations and to discuss their pathogenesis and management.

Methods: In the present case, a 65 year old female with a two-month history of diagnosed T-LGL leukemia presented with oral lesions, including ulcerations on the ventral tongue and soft palate as well as swollen, erythematous and ulcerated gingiva. The patient was under treatment with methotrexate, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and erythropoietin.

Results: Considering patients’ medical history and clinical appearance of the lesions, a clinical diagnosis of a neutropenic ulcer of the tongue was established. The oral lesions resolved after treatment with antibiotics, topical steroids and antiseptics combined with improvement of the hematological condition. The pertinent literature related to T-LGL leukemia ethiopathology, diagnostics and treatment was discussed.

Conclusions: Although rare, T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia should be included in the list of lymphoproliferative disorders, which may present with oral manifestations as a result of the disease and its treatment complications.

Background: The purpose of this report is to present a rare case of co-occurrence of florid cemento-osseous dysplasia with simple bone cyst in a middle aged Asian woman. Most of the reported cases are isolated cases of simple bone cyst or florid cemento-osseous dysplasia, but co-occurrence of these two entities is extremely rare.

Methods: The authors report a 41 year old female patient with co-occurrence of mandibular florid cemento-osseous dysplasia with simple bone cyst. A thorough clinical and radiological examination was carried out.

Results: It was diagnosed mandibular cyst with possible co-occurrence of florid cemento-osseous dysplasia. Surgical exploration of the multilocular lesion was applied. Since, the patient was symptomatic at the time of presentation utmost caution was taken during the surgical procedure as florid cemento-osseous dysplasia is associated with hypo-vascularity of the affected bone. Based on histopathological, as well as supporting clinico-radiological findings a confirmative diagnosis of florid cemento-osseous dysplasia co-occurring with simple bone cyst was made. Patient was followed-up for a period of six months and was reported to be asymptomatic.

Conclusions: Timely diagnosis and well planned treatment is important to obtain a good prognosis when a rare co-occurrence of two or more bone lesions affects the jaws.