Innovations on the horizon: teledentistry, artificial intelligence, and hybrid models to improve oral health for vulnerable communities.

Objectives: Vulnerable populations experience substantial challenges accessing dental care, leading to disproportionate oral health burdens. Digital solutions, such as teledentistry and artificial intelligence, offer new opportunities to improve access, quality and effectiveness of the care.

Methods: This paper presents a narrative literature review incorporating findings from peer-reviewed journals, systematic reviews, and case studies retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2013-2024).

Incorporation of Greater Palatal Artery Pathway Projection into a Static Surgical Guide.

The purpose of this study was to develop a digital workflow to incorporate the mucosal projection of the pathways of the greater palatal artery into a static surgical guide used for free gingival graft harvesting and connective-tissue grafting techniques. A cone-beam computed tomography file was uploaded and segmented using specific tools from digital design software. The artery pathways were identified and marked on cone-beam computed tomography.

Horizontal ridge augmentation through ridge expansion via osseodensification, guided bone regeneration and ridge‑split: Systematic review and meta‑analysis of clinical trials.

The aim of the present systematic review was to compare three ridge augmentation procedures in order to assist clinicians in finding the ideal surgical method relative to the horizontal bone gain needed and the width of the alveolar ridge available. An electronic and hand literature search was performed in the online databases PubMed-Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register and Web of Science, and various specialized journals, between January 2017 and December 2022. The included studies were evaluated using the Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies score and Cochrane's RoB tool.

Research trends and perspectives on immediate facial reanimation in radical parotidectomy (Review).

For patients diagnosed with advanced malignant parotid tumour, radical parotidectomy with facial nerve sacrifice is part of the treatment. Multiple surgical techniques have been developed to cure facial paralysis in order to restore the function and aesthetics of the face. Despite the large number of publications over time on facial nerve reanimation, a consensus on the timing of the procedure or the donor graft selection has remained to be established.

A new technique to transfer the upper maxillary arch position using a facebow, a transfer table, and a reference block with a CAD application.

This paper presents a method for the digital transfer of the upper maxillary arch position using a facebow, a transfer table, and a reference block with a CAD application without requiring physical casts mounted with articulating gypsum. This technique facilitates the prosthetic digital workflow when the impression is made via intraoral scanning, to obtain the placement of the maxillary arch in the anatomical reference planes and in relation to the axes of rotation of the mandibular movements.

Modular Digital and 3D-Printed Dental Models with Applicability in Dental Education.

: The ever more complex modern dental education requires permanent adaptation to expanding medical knowledge and new advancements in digital technologies as well as intensification of interdisciplinary collaboration. Our study presents a newly developed computerized method allowing virtual case simulation on modular digital dental models and 3D-printing of the obtained digital models; additionally, undergraduate dental students' opinion on the advanced method is investigated in this paper. : Based on the digitalization of didactic dental models, the proposed method generates modular digital dental models that can be easily converted into different types of partial edentulism scenarios, thus allowing the development of a digital library.

A novel experimental approach to evaluate guided bone regeneration (GBR) in the rat femur using a 3D-printed CAD/CAM zirconia space-maintaining barrier.

Introduction: Obtaining a certain bone volume is an important goal in implantology or orthopedics. Thus, after tooth extraction, quite a lot of horizontal and vertical alveolar bone is lost in time and can be detrimental to the implant treatment outcome, while the treatment of critical bone defects is a considerable challenge for surgery.

Objectives: In this study we designed a new in vivo model as an useful experimental tool to assess guided bone regeneration (GBR) using a computer-aided design/manufacturing (CAD-CAM) space-maintaining barrier.

Virtual facebow technique using standardized background images.

The procedure described provides a novel and accessible virtual facebow transfer based on standardized photographs loaded in the virtual articulator module of a computer-assisted design and computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD-CAM) software program for dental applications. The practical application of the technique in a digital workflow is the correct alignment of the digital maxillary cast to the virtual articulator with respect to the patient's planes and the skin markings of the condylar axis.

Osteotome-mediated sinus floor elevation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to systematically review the literature regarding sinus floor elevation using osteotomes with respect to the timing of implant placement, implant characteristics, grafting materials, and intraoperative and postoperative complications and to perform a meta-analysis to determine the influence of initial residual bone height (RBH) on implant success.

Materials And Methods: A systematic search of articles was conducted on MEDLINE and manually to identify studies of sinus floor elevation using osteotomes. Strict inclusion criteria were applied.