Monolithic Zirconia FPD on Modified Titanium Bonding Bases in Limited Interocclusal Distance: A Case Report

A 62-year-old male patient sought treatment for missing maxillary teeth. A diagnostic cast demonstrated that the interocclusal distance was insufficient. A five-unit screw-retained implant-supported fixed partial denture (FPD) was used to restore missing maxillary teeth. The restoration of multiple missing teeth using an implant-supported FPD is challenging when the interocclusal distance is limited due to lack of retention and inadequate esthetics. In this case, a hexagonal, screw-retained, and sublingually located titanium-based zirconia implant-supported FPD with a conical abutment base was used for restoration to overcome the limited interocclusal distance. This implant-supported FPD, consisting of CAD/CAM-designed monolithic zirconia cemented to a titanium bonding base in the laboratory, is expected to facilitate predictable retention and adequate esthetics as well as provide ease of retrieval.

New Method to Increase Inter-alveolar Height With Preservation of Crestal Cortical Bone for Implant Treatment

The aim of this technique is to provide adequate interocclusal distance (3 mm) allowing preprosthetic management. A bone block was cut with piezosurgery and extracted, leaving the crestal cortical bone intact. The free crestal alveolar bone was fixed to the maxilla with 2 dental implants. After 3 months of follow-up, abutment surgery was performed and osseointegration was evident with adequate interocclusal height (7 mm) allowing prosthetic management.

Association between the speaking space of /s/ sound and incisal overlaps in dentate and edentate subjects

The purpose of this study is to determine the association of speaking space of /s/ sound with vertical and horizontal overlaps for two subject groups. Group I comprised 61 subjects with complete permanent dentition and Group II comprised 33 complete denture wearers. They had their mandibular movement determined by using an electromagnetic method. Speaking space of /s/ was obtained from each subject as they were instructed to say the word 'seis' three times. The mean interocclusal distance during /s/ production was considered the speaking space of /s/. Vertical and horizontal incisor overlaps were also measured. The mean value of speaking space of /s/ was 2.22 mm (± 1.38) for Group I and 2.61 mm (± 1.53) for Group II. In Group I, significant correlations were found between the speaking space of /s/ and vertical overlap (r=0.36, P<0.01), and between speaking space of /s/ and horizontal overlap (r=0.45, P<0.01). In Group II, no significant correlation was found between speaking space of /s/ and the overlaps. It was concluded that incisor overlap had a direct influence on the measure of speaking space of /s/ for dentate subjects, but this association was not present for complete denture wearers.

Short term evaluation of interocclusal distance during speech after new removable prosthesis insertion

The aim of this study was to evaluate the interocclusal distance during the pronunciation of /m/ and /s/ sounds from Portuguese Language, in partially edentulous patients before and after new partial and total prosthesis installation. The subjects were divided into two groups: Experimental group, consisting of 9 patients entirely edentate in the upper maxillary arch and classified as Kennedy Class I in the lower arch; and Control group, consisting of 9 totally dentate patients. The subjects from the first group had their worn out dentures changed and the occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) corrected. A magnetic method of jaw tracking was used to measure the interocclusal distance (mm) during pronunciation of those phonemes. Comparison between groups, by t test, showed significant difference (p<0.05) for /m/ sound in all periods of time: before prosthesis installation - T0 (3.38±1.23), immediately - T1 (2.15±1.06), six hours - T2 (3.41±1.33), twenty-four hours - T3 (2.92±0.92), two days - T4 (4.80±1.93), one week - T5 (3.87±1.43), two weeks - T6 (3.03±0.96), one month - T7 (3.03±0.96), two months - T8 (4.47±1.45) and three months - T9 (4.33±2.56), except for six months - T10 after prosthesis installation. For /s/ sound phoneme the results were different (p<0.05) between the groups in T1 (2.89±1.33), T2 (3.37±1.22), T3 (3.19±1.06), T4 (3.86±1.21), T5 (3.83±1.32), T6 (3.27±1.10), T7 (3.37±0.99) and T10 (3.84±1.38) after oral rehabilitation. The paired-t test, for means comparison between before and after prosthesis insertion, indicated significant differences (p<0.05) for /m/ sound only in T1, and for /s/ sound in T1, T2, T3, T6, T7 and T10. It was concluded that new prosthesis insertion, correcting the OVD, changes the interocclusal distance, and for /m/ sound this distance could be recovered after six months of prosthesis wearing.