Aim: To investigate load‐deformation properties of Thiel‐embalmed human oral mucosa tissues and to compare three different anatomical regions in terms of mechanical, histological and ultrastructural characteristic with focus on the extracellular matrix.Materials and Methods: Thirty specimens from three different regions of the oral cavity: attached gingiva, buccal mucosa and the hard palate were harvested from two Thiel‐embalmed cadavers. Mechanical properties were obtained, combining strain evaluation and digital image correlation in a standardised approach. Elastic modulus, tensile strength, strain at maximum load and strain to failure were computed and analysed statistically. Subsamples were also analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and histological analysis.Results: The highest elastic modulus of 37.36 ± 17.4 MPa was found in the attached gingiva group, followed by the hard palate and buccal mucosa. The elastic moduli of attached gingiva differed significantly to the buccal mucosa (p = .01) and hard palate (p = .021). However, there was no difference in the elastic moduli between the buccal mucosa and hard palate (p > .22). The tensile strength of the tissue samples ranged from 1.54 ± 0.5MPa to 3.81 ± 0.9 MPa, with a significant difference between gingiva group and buccal mucosa or hard palate (p = .001). No difference was found in the mean tensile strength between the buccal mucosa and hard palate (p = .92). Ultrastructural imaging yielded a morphological basis for the various mechanical properties found intraorally; the attached gingiva showed unidirectional collagen fibre network whereas the buccal mucosa and hard palate showed multi‐directional network, which was more prone to tension failure and less elasticity.Conclusion: This is the first study assessing the various morphological‐mechanical relationships of intraoral soft tissues, utilising Thiel‐embalmed tissues. The findings of this study suggest that the tissues from different intraoral regions showed various morphological‐mechanical behaviour which was also confirmed under the SEM and in the histological analysis.

Background and Objective. Several risk factors have been implicated in onset and development of peri‐implant diseases. The impact of these factors, however, remains controversial across the different clinical settings and populations. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the risk factors for peri‐implant diseases among an Emirati population. Methods. A retrospective analysis of patients aged ≥18 years and having dental implants placed at Dubai Health Authority in 2010. Relevant information related to systemic‐, patient‐, implant‐, site‐, surgical‐ and prosthesis‐related factors were collected. The strength of association between the prevalence of peri‐implant mucositis and peri‐implantitis and each variable was measured by chi‐square analysis. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify possible risk factors. Results. A total of 162 patients with 301 implant‐supported restorations were included in the study. The age of the patients ranged between 19 and 72 with a mean age of 46.4 ± 11.7 years. The prevalence of peri‐implant mucositis at the patient and implant levels were 44.4% and 38.2%, respectively. For peri‐implantitis, the prevalence at the patient level was 5.6%, while the prevalence at the implant level was 4.0%. The binary logistic regression identified three risk factors (smoking habits, histories of treated periodontitis and lack of peri‐implant maintenance) for peri‐implantitis. Conclusion. Within the limitations of this study, smoking habits, history of treated periodontitis and lack of peri‐implant maintenance were significant risk factors for peri‐implantitis. Early detection of these factors would ensure appropriate planning and care of patients at high risk of developing peri‐implant diseases.