Elena Preoteasa, DMD, PhD/Marina Imre, DMD, PhD/Cristina Teodora Preoteasa, DMD: Purpose: This study evaluated overdentures retained by mini?dental implants (MDIs) as a treatment option for complete edentulism during a 3-year follow-up period. Materials and Methods: This observational clinical study included completely edentulous patients who were treated with MDI-retained overdentures. The MDIs were supplied by the manufacturer. Results: Twenty-three patients received 7 maxillary and 16 mandibular MDI overdentures retained by 110 MDIs. Of the 36 MDIs placed in the maxilla, 8 failed (in two patients), 2 had compromised survival, 3 displayed satisfactory survival, and 23 were successful. Of the 74 MDIs placed in the mandible, 11 displayed satisfactory survival and 63 were successful. The marginal bone loss was more pronounced for the MDIs placed mesially (intercalated), in areas of decreased ridge width and bone density, and with lower values of insertion torque. The overdentures fractured in seven patients; in 4 of them, this corresponded to the implant housing area. Self-reported reasons for patient dissatisfaction included occasional pain under the overdenture (n = 5) and instability of the maxillary antagonist complete denture (n = 4). Conclusion: Based on this research, considering its limitations, it is possible to conclude that survival rates and health status are better for MDI overdentures applied in the mandible than for those applied in the maxilla. The most severe prosthetic complications encountered were overdenture base fracture, matrix detachment, and instability of the maxillary antagonist denture.

Background. Presumably, the academic stress that builds throughout the academic year has a negative effect on dental students’ psychological well-being and may have a relationship with academic performance. This research aimed to analyse the variation of positive well-being in second-year dental students, across the academic semester, in relation to consecutive examinations as part of academic assessment system (1) and to observe the relationship between academic performance during semester evaluation period and dental students’ positive well-being (2).Methods. A prospective study was conducted on second-year dental students, data on positive well-being being collected with WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), at the beginning of the semester and after three consecutive mandatory examinations.Results. One hundred and forty-six dental students were included (77% response rate). Repeated ANOVA showed a significant progressive decline of positive well-being over the semester, which was clinically significant for an important part of them. Students who performed better in the semester evaluation period registered higher well-being levels at the beginning of the semester but a more pronounced decline of it until the semester evaluation period.Conclusion. Based on this research, a relationship between positive well-being, academic assessments, and academic performance is suggested, when evaluating them in a prospective frame.

This study aimed to assess the masticatory efficiency in patients with a removable dental prosthesis, presenting different systemic, oral and prosthetic states while chewing different foods. The study was conducted on a convenient sample of patients aged 45 and above, with removable prostheses in at least one jaw. Patients were asked to chew samples of digestive biscuits, apple, and carrot, until the sensation of swallowing. The recorded masticatory function parameters were: chewing time, the number of mastication cycles, mean masticatory cycle duration, and chewing frequency. We found out that the masticatory functional parameters registered statistically significant differences according to the chewed food (e.g., generally the highest values were recorded for carrot and lowest for apple), most likely this being in relation to food’s consistency, wetting, and adherence. High positive correlations were found between the chewing time and the number of mastication cycles for all three foods taken into consideration. Higher values for chewing time and number of mastication cycles were found for all foods in patients with complete dentures and overdentures, and while chewing carrot in patients with altered general status and of advanced age. Therefore, it that it takes a different time and number of mastication cycles to complete chewing, in relation to individual and food characteristics, to the systemic, oral and prosthetic patient’s status. The residual teeth number and the type of prosthetic rehabilitation favor the adaptation and improvement of masticatory parameters and can have marker value for masticatory efficiency.

The aim of the study was to assess the oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) of elderly in care homes, one of Romania’s most vulnerable social categories, to correlate it to sociodemographic, oral health parameters, and prosthodontic status. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was performed on 58 geriatrics divided into 3 age groups, who were clinically examined and answered the oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire. Very high rates of complete edentulism in the oldest-old subgroup (bimaxillary in 64.3%; mandibular in 64.3%; maxillary in 85.7%), and alarming frequencies in the other subgroups (middle-old and youngest-old), statistically significant differences between age groups being determined. The OHIP-14 mean score was 14.5. Although not statistically significant, females had higher OHIP-14 scores, also middle-old with single maxillary arch, single mandibular arch, and bimaxillary complete edentulism, whether they wore dentures or not, but especially those without dental prosthetic treatment in the maxilla. A worse OHRQoL was also observed in wearers of bimaxillary complete dentures, in correlation with periodontal disease-related edentulism, in those with tertiary education degree, and those who came from rural areas. There were no statistically significant correlations of OHRQoL with age, total number of edentulous spaces or edentulous spaces with no prosthetic treatment. In conclusion, despite poor oral health and prosthetic status of the institutionalized elderly around Bucharest, the impact on their wellbeing is comparatively moderate.

Background and Objectives: The goal of this study was to assess the validity of the Romanian version of the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C⁺⁾ questionnaire. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on a convenience sample of past patients and their acquaintances through an online questionnaire administered on the Google Forms platform between May 2021 and September 2022. The sections of the survey were demographic characteristics, the dental anxiety scale questionnaire, the IDAF-4C⁺ questionnaire, a single question about dental fear, and previous dental treatments. Results: In total, 239 participants were included in the study, and the mean age was 37. The IDAF-4C questionnaire had good internal validity (Cronbach alpha was 0.945). The IDAF-4C had good convergent validity, and it was positively correlated with the dental anxiety scale (r = 0.825, p < 0.001) and the question about the fear of going to the dentist (r = 0.738, p < 0.001). The questionnaire had good reliability, and the intraclass correlation was 0.985. Lower levels of dental anxiety were associated with scaling, orthodontic treatment, and dental implants. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted after the removal of the first question from the phobia module, and residual covariance was added between items four and nine of the stimulus module, showing a good fit for the retained questions of the IDAF-4C⁺, grouped by module. Conclusions: The Romanian version of the IDAF-4C⁺ showed acceptable psychometric properties.