The purpose of this study is to outline relevant elements regarding the biochemical interactions between prosthetic materials used for obtaining implant-supported restorations and the oral environment. Implant-supported prostheses have seen unprecedented development in recent years, benefiting from the emergence of both new prosthetic materials (with increased biocompatibility and very good mechanical behavior), and computerized manufacturing technologies, which offer predictability, accuracy, and reproducibility. On the other hand, the quality of conventional materials for obtaining implant-supported prostheses is acknowledged, as they have already proven their clinical performance. The properties of PMMA (poly (methyl methacrylate))—which is a representative interim material frequently used in prosthodontics—and of PEEK (polyether ether ketone)—a biomaterial which is placed on the border between interim and final prosthetic use—are highlighted in order to illustrate the complex way these materials interact with the oral environment. In regard to definitive prosthetic materials used for obtaining implant-supported prostheses, emphasis is placed on zirconia-based ceramics. Zirconia exhibits several distinctive advantages (excellent aesthetics, good mechanical behavior, biocompatibility), through which its clinical applicability has become increasingly wide. Zirconia’s interaction with the oral environment (fibroblasts, osteoblasts, dental pulp cells, macrophages) is presented in a relevant synthesis, thus revealing its good biocompatibility.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the oxidative stress level and inflammatory status of saliva in the presence of certain materials used for obtaining interim prosthetic restorations. Four types of interim resin materials were investigated: a pressure/heat-cured acrylic resin (Superpont C+B, SpofaDental a.s Czech Republic, /KaVo Kerr Group), a milled resin (Telio CAD polymethyl methacrylate, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Liechtenstein), a 3D printed resin (NextDent C&B MFH, NextDent by 3D Systems, the Netherlands), and a pressure/heat-cured micro-filled indirect composite resin (SR Chromasit, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Liechtenstein). The disk-shaped resin samples (30 mm diameter, 2 mm high) were obtained in line with the producers’ recommendations. The resulting resin specimens were incubated with saliva samples collected from twenty healthy volunteers. In order to analyze the antioxidant activity of the tested materials, certain salivary parameters were evaluated before and after incubation: uric acid, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), oxidative stress responsive kinase-1 (OXSR-1), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC); the salivary levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (inflammatory markers) were measured as well. The obtained results are overall favorable, showing that the tested materials did not cause significant changes in the salivary oxidative stress level and did not influence the inflammatory salivary status.

Periimplantitis represents an inflammatory disease of the soft and hard tissues surrounding the osseointegrated dental implant, triggering progressive damage to the alveolar bone. Cumulative data have revealed that periimplantitis plays a crucial part in implant failure. Due to the strategic roles of autophagy and its upstream coordinator, the AKT/mTOR pathway, in inflammatory responses, the crosstalk between them in the context of periimplantitis should become a key research target, as it opens up an area of interesting data with clinical significance. Therefore, in this article, we aimed to briefly review the existing data concerning the complex roles played by ROS in the interplay between the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and autophagy in periimplantitis, in each of the main cell types involved in periimplantitis pathogenesis and evolution. Knowing how to modulate specifically the autophagic machinery in each of the cellular types involved in the healing and osseointegration steps post implant surgery can help the clinician to make the most appropriate post-surgery decisions. These decisions might be crucial in order to prevent the occurrence of periimplantitis and ensure the proper conditions for effective osseointegration, depending on patients’ clinical particularities.

The lingual surface of the mandible’s body is commonly indicated as presenting the submandibular and sublingual fossae, which are separated by the mylohyoid line. The mylohyoid line attaches to the mylohyoid muscle (MM). Less attention has been paid to the ‘mylohyoid boutonnières’, which allow the ‘sublingual buttons’ to pass through the MM in the submandibular space. The cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) files of patients were routinely examined for anatomical studies. Two cases were found with unexpected morphologies of the mandible’s body – the mylohyoid lines were incomplete anteriorly, and herniated sublingual tissue determined an additional fossa inferior to that line in the premolar region. That fossa was termed the ‘accessory submandibular fossa’. It determined on coronal slices a ‘sand watch’ contour of the mandible’s body. With such a peculiar morphology, the mandible is more prone to fracture. Moreover, when inserting endosseous implants, the procedure should be carefully personalised in such rare cases. The lingual surface of the mandible’s body is commonly indicated as presenting the submandibular and sublingual fossae, which are separated by the mylohyoid line. The mylohyoid line attaches to the mylohyoid muscle (MM). Less attention has been paid to the ‘mylohyoid boutonnières’, which allow the ‘sublingual buttons’ to pass through the MM in the submandibular space. The cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) files of patients were routinely examined for anatomical studies. Two cases were found with unexpected morphologies of the mandible’s body – the mylohyoid lines were incomplete anteriorly, and herniated sublingual tissue determined an additional fossa inferior to that line in the premolar region. That fossa was termed the ‘accessory submandibular fossa’. It determined on coronal slices a ‘sand watch’ contour of the mandible’s body. With such a peculiar morphology, the mandible is more prone to fracture. Moreover, when inserting endosseous implants, the procedure should be carefully personalised in such rare cases.

This study aims to assess the frequency of the lingual foramina and canals relative to their location on the mandibular cortical plate and also to closely inspect the course of the lingual canals inside the mandibular body using 3D reconstruction of the evaluated area. A retrospective study was conducted with 55 cone bean computed tomography (CBCT) scans in order to analyze the location, number, course and anastomosing pattern of the lingual canals. A total number of 165 lingual canals (LCs) were recorded from 55 patients, as follows: 94 median (MLC), 16 paramedian (PLC) and 55 lateral lingual canals (LLC). MLCs were a constant finding in all 55 patients (100% of the cases), PLCs were present in 15 patients (27.3% of the cases), and LLCs were identified in 35 patients (63.3% of the cases). The anastomosing pattern of the MLC, in which a supraspinous canal anastomosed with an infraspinous canal, was found in 10.9% of the cases (6 of 55 patients),. The LLCs were anastomosed with the mandibular incisive canal (MIC) in 56.3% of the cases (31 of 55 LLCs) and with the mandibular canal (MC) in 3.6% of the cases (2 of 55 LLCs). CBCT revealed itself to be a reliable tool for evaluating the intramandibular topography of the LCs. The anastomosing pattern of the lingual canals might raise the question whether the LCs could be responsible for incomplete anesthesia after conventional mandibular block by carrying sensory innervation from the mylohyoid nerve to the inferior alveolar nerve.