The ideal biomaterials substitute for bone repair should possess the following characteristics: provide osteogenic, osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties; stimulate the neo-angiogenesis process; absence of antigenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic reactions; avoid the systemic toxicity complications; assure satisfactory support and stability from mechanical properties point of view; hydrophilic nature of the surface properties and good interface with human bone; good handling in clinical condition and ability to be easy sterilized; and able to be supplied in sufficient quantities with reduced costs. Despite years of effort, the perfect bone reconstruction material has not yet been developed; further effort is required to make this objective feasible. The aim of this article is to provide a contemporary and comprehensive overview of the grafting materials that can be applied for the treatment of bone defects by the clinicians from orthopedics surgery, neurosurgery and dentistry, discussing their properties, advantages and disadvantages, and illuminating present and future perspectives in the field of bone graft and biomaterials substitutes for bone repair, from clinical needs to advanced biomaterials research.

Non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) represent a form of tooth wear, characterized by the irreversible loss of dental hard tissues at the enamel–cement junction, without the involvement of caries and dental trauma. The aim of this study was to highlight the morphological elements of NCCLs via their stereomicroscopic examination and to confirm the role of this examination in the diagnosis of early lesions. In addition, the association between the morphological aspects identified during the stereomicroscopic examination of NCCLs and their etiological factors was determined. For this study, extracted teeth with NCCLs were examined with a stereomicroscope. The morphological aspects of NCCLs were evaluated at magnifications up to 75×. In wedge-shaped NCCLs, the stereomicroscopic examination allowed the identification and measurement of scratches, furrows and cracks. In saucer-shaped NCCLs, the stereomicroscopic examination highlighted the smooth appearance of the walls. The presented study highlighted the role of stereomicroscopic examination in the assessment of NCCL morphology and in their early diagnosis. The study confirmed, in particular, the role of occlusal overloads and tooth brushing in determining the morphology of NCCLs.

Recently, due to the high demand for dental implants, the use of dental implant stock abutments has increased significantly, especially dental custom CAD/CAM implant abutments milled by dental technicians in their laboratories. The purpose of this study is to analyze the surface quality of the emergence profile of dental custom CAD/CAM implant abutments made by a non-industrial milling machine, compared to original and compatible dental implant stock abutments made by industrial machines. Thirty dental implant abutments were divided into six study lots. Lot 1 (control group): original dental implant stock abutments—industrial machined; lot 2 (study group): compatible dental implant stock abutments—industrial machined; lots 3, 4, 5, and 6 (study groups): compatible custom CAD/CAM dental implant abutments—non-industrial milled with hyperDENT CAM software and Paragon Tools. The Nikon SMZ745T stereomicroscope was used to analyze the emergence profile surface of each dental implant abutment. The structure of the analyzed surfaces did not show significant differences between original and compatible abutments that were industrially machined. As for the customized dental implant abutments, the greatest similarity with the original was obtained for lot 6, and a significant statistical difference was obtained for lot 4. Stepover and Feed Rate parameters of the milling process influenced the surface roughness of the emergence profile for the customized dental implant abutments. The digital technology of non-industrial milling compatible custom CAD/CAM dental implant abutments is reliable and within the correct milling parameters.

This study aimed to evaluate the new orthodontic TiNb wires in direct comparison to the gold standard in orthodontics, NiTi wires, when treating. There is limited literature on patients with severe malocclusions being treated from start to end with TiNb, and TiNb wires were mostly used in the final stages of treatment. Our protocol consisted of three orthodontic wires: 0.016, 0.016 × 0.025, and 0.019 × 0.025 for levelling and aligning the stage and 0.019 × 0.025 stainless steel for the finishing stage, in order to treat the same case reproduced on a modified scientific simulator. The bracket system used was made by GC slot 0.22, TiNb wires made by Morita, and NiTi wires produced by GC. We ligated all brackets using SS wire ligatures 0.008, and for anchorage, we used a transpalatal arch. The temperature of the scientific simulator was set between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. We have used upper arches and studied the repositioning of upper ectopic canines and space closure in order to obtain an equilibrated maxillary arch. After each change of orthodontic wires, we scanned the upper arch using Medit i600 (Medit, Seoul, Republic of Korea). After concluding all stages on all upper arches, we assessed the results using LITTLE’s Irregularity index and stereo microscopy to explain metal stress on NiTi and TiNb. We propose an optimized process for using TiNb and NiTi wires when treating class II severe malocclusions with premolar extractions. Thus, we observed permanent deformation for all 0.016 TiNb wires used in the first stage, so TiNb underperformed in comparison with NiTi. Also, the Little’s Irregularity Index was superior in the NiTi wires group on 0.016 wires, verifying the change of state in the TiNb wires group.

(1) Background: Alveolar bone regeneration in dentistry has become important with the evolution of implantology. Biomaterials used for bone grafting are increasingly used to provide resistant bone support that is favorable for the insertion of dental implants. The aim of the study was to analyze the degree of biocompatibility and bone neoformation of two biomaterials compared to natural healing. (2) Methods: Bone defects of 3 mm diameter were created in the calvaria of 15 adult male Wistar rats. Three groups were created: group A, in which natural healing was achieved; group B, in which porcine xenograft was added; and group C, in which experimental synthetic bone based on hydroxyapatite reinforced with titanium particles was added. Samples were collected at 2 and 4 months postoperatively and analyzed microscopically and histologically. (3) Results: Data were obtained on the healing pattern of the created cavities, as well as the degree of their filling with newly formed bone tissue. Following the results obtained from the stereomicroscope analysis and histological analysis, statistically significant differences were observed between the two biomaterials regarding the time required for the transformation process of the graft particles into bone. Thus, the porcine xenograft was incorporated more quickly into the native bone, while the synthetic bone required a longer period of time. (4) Conclusions: The bone graft materials used acted as scaffolds for the newly formed bone, but each biomaterial required a different amount of time for the particles to be incorporated into the native bone.

This study investigates the possibility of designing and creating dynamic facades of buildings located in aggressive climatic environments (temperatures, air currents, brightness etc.). The study is based on EN AW-5754 samples manufactured by U bending, representing the modules for dynamic facades. The bending process uses a 300 kN Abkant type press. It is performed along two curved lines. The punch and the related mold are printed from ABS with FDM (fused deposited material) technology. Bending is facilitated by customized slots in 4 laser-cut patterns placed along the bending lines. The paper aims to analyze the influence of the slot patterns on the U-bending process, respectively the design of the mold and the punch designed and executed by 3D printing technology.