Faculty Bibliography

With the new era of rapidly expanding technology, digital dentistry promises many opportunities such as grading standardization, access to student self-assessment, less material waste, a more hygienic clinical protocol, and the potential for greater accuracy and predictability in clinical outcomes.^1-3 Despite these tremendous advantages, some challenges such as cost, training, and infrastructure still remain, which prevent digital dentistry from becoming the new standard in dental institutions.^2,4 Keywords: Curriculum, Digital dentistry, Infrastructure, Intraoral scanner, Student.

Dentistry has been flooded by digital technologies such as cone-beam computed-tomography (CBCT), and computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), and stereolithography. Recently, computer-guided implant placement by using a CAD/CAM surgical guide has become a popular treatment modality as it permits flapless implant placement that provides some advantages such as faster recuperation, less post-operative pain and swelling. Yet, the computer-guided implant placement is a technique sensitive procedure involving many diagnostic and therapeutic events. The sum of small mistakes in both digital workflow and actual surgery may cause overall diminished precision. The objectives of this report are to portray the technique in which a CAD/CAM surgical guide and flapless approach was used to restore an edentulous mandible and to alert inexperienced clinicians and/or post-graduate residents about the critical steps from digital workflow to actual surgery. Also, recommendations regarding CAD/CAM surgical guides are provided to avoid or minimize surgical and restorative complications.

AIM/OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study is to assess the influence of e-learning on dental education as perceived by predoctoral dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS/METHODS:In an institutional review board (IRB) approved protocol, a 14-question survey was created and electronically distributed to second-, third-, and fourth-year dental students. The participation was considered voluntary and all responses were anonymous. RESULTS:The survey targeted 1,130 predoctoral students, of which 255 (22.6%) responded. Of the respondents, 124 students (48.6%) preferred traditional lecture mixed with online learning, while 46 students (18%) preferred only the traditional lecture style. The top three electronic resources/applications, which students perceived as having the greatest impact on their learning, were: YouTube, Bone Box, and Google. The responses also indicated that 76.5% of the students gave high credibility (scores of 4 and 5) to electronic resources recommended by faculties. Sixty percent of students spent 1 to more than 4 hours per day on electronic resources for academic performance. The most important factor for online applications influencing academic performance was "organization and logic of content" (54%). E-learning had a significant perceived effect (scores of 4/5) on didactic understanding (65.1%) and on clinical understanding (71.4%). Students observed that faculties estimated to be under 50 years of age were more likely to incorporate e-learning into courses (52.6%) and more likely to use social media for communication (41.6%). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:The results indicate that e-learning may successfully be used in a dental school's curriculum to enhance students' perceptions of fundamental concepts and to enable students to apply this knowledge to clinical cases. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE/CONCLUSIONS:E-learning has recently been proposed as a basic supplementary tool to enhance medical and dental education. It is crucial to determine dental students' preferences regarding social media, online applications, and databases in order to incorporate e-learning into dental school courses.

AIM/OBJECTIVE:The aim of this report is to describe a technique, in which a severely resorbed edentulous mandible was restored with computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) surgical guide and an implant-supported fixed dental prosthesis in two days. BACKGROUND:The quality of life of edentulous patients is generally restricted due to functional and psychosocial problems associated with complete dentures. These issues become worse over time due to ongoing bone resorption. Implant-supported prostheses have been utilized to overcome these problems. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS:A 79-year-old patient with a severely resorbed edentulous maxilla and mandible presented to our clinic. After the cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were performed, five implants were virtually placed via a 3-dimensional software. Then, a CAD/CAM surgical guide was fabricated with a stereolithographic method. Her mandible was restored with five implants by using the CAD/CAM surgical guide and the implant-supported prosthesis with CAD/CAM titanium framework in 2 days. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:The severely resorbed edentulous mandible was successfully restored with five dental implants, and the implant-supported fixed dental prosthesis via the CAD/CAM milled titanium framework. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE/CONCLUSIONS:The technique using software and hardware portrayed in this report may be a feasible option to restore similar patients if it is executed by trained restorative dentists adhering to strict guidelines.

The objective of this article is to review topography of posterior superior alveolar artery (PSAA), and to present a case with visualization of a rare anatomic variation of PSAA. An electronic search was undertaken to identify articles about topography of PSAA in Medline, Embase and Google Scholar databases, published between January 1977 and December 2017. Two animal studies, 8 cadaver studies, 18 CBCT studies, and 2 review articles were found. The animal studies, cadaver studies and review articles were excluded because they were not about topography of PSAA. Only CBCT studies were included in this review. Accurate knowledge of vital structures in the surgical area is critical during surgical procedures. PSAA should be analyzed during planning sinus lifting with lateral approach. In the present case, a detailed evaluation of patient by CBCT provided the opportunity to find out a rare variation of PSAA with multiple vessels.

Background/UNASSIGNED:Digital revolution is here and becoming more and more influential in our daily lives by transforming several things such as our habits, interactions with other people and the practice of dentistry. In implant dentistry, the newer methods by using cone-beam computed tomography and computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing recently offer more predictable and aesthetics outcomes in a shorter period of treatment time when compared to the traditional prosthetic procedures. Methods/UNASSIGNED:A 66 year-old male patient with an edentulous mandible and several failing maxillary teeth presented to our clinic. After cone-beam computed-tomography scans and virtual implant placement by using three-dimensional software, a stereolithographic surgical guide was fabricated. The patient received two mandibular implants without any flap elevation by means of a computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing surgical guide and a maxillary complete denture in a day. Results/UNASSIGNED:The surgical and restorative procedures were performed without any issues. The patient was followed-up for three years and no major complications with the implants and prostheses were observed. Conclusions/UNASSIGNED:The technique illustrated in this report may be successfully used to restore edentulous arches in a day if it is executed by trained restorative dentists and if patient selection is appropriate.

The aim of this report is to analyze the clinical performance of 20 full-arch implant-supported titanium frameworks using CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing) technology. One hundred and four implants were placed in 15 patients using a one-stage protocol. After planning the location of all implants via 3-dimensional software (NobleClinician), 4-8 implants were placed in each edentulous arch based on anatomical measurements. Twenty edentulous arches were treated with full arch implant-supported fixed dental prostheses utilizing CAD/CAM milled titanium frameworks . All patients were followed up for 48±4 months. Clinical performance of the implants and restorations were evaluated for implant/prosthesis survival, framework fit, marginal bone levels, and maintenance requirements. One implant was lost during the follow up period, giving an implant survival rate of 99.1%. The average distance from the implant platform to first bone-implant contact was 1.1±0.2 mm from the time of metal-framework try-in to the time of the last recall appointment. None of the prostheses needed a replacement, indicating the prosthesis success rate was 100%. Sixteen occlusal adjustments and 5 broken denture teeth were repaired chairside during the study period. The results of this retrospective clinical report suggest that CAD/CAM milled titanium frameworks using the software and scanner presented in this study fit accurately and can be a viable treatment option to restore edentulous arches. Key words:CAD/CAM, framework, implant, mandible, titanium.