An accurate impression is vital during prosthodontic rehabilitation. Digital scanning has become an alternative to conventional impressions. This study compares conventional preliminary impression techniques with digital scanning, evaluating the efficiency, treatment comfort, and trueness. Impressions of 28 patients were taken using conventional and digital techniques. The efficiency of both impression techniques was evaluated by measuring the mean working time. A visual analog scale questionnaire (1–10) was used to appreciate the participants’ perceptions of discomfort. Morphometric measurements, which were carried out to determine the differences between the casts, were made on the buccolingual cross sections of teeth 11 and 31 and the distolingual and mesiobuccal cusp tips of each first molar. The total treatment time was 75.5 min for conventional and 12 min for digital impressions. The patients scored a mean discomfort assessment of 6.66 for conventional and 9.03 for digital scanning. No significant differences existed between the examined areas (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon and Mann–Whitney tests) of the digital casts obtained by both techniques. The intraoral scan can be considered as an alternative to conventional preliminary impressions for performing study model analysis during orthodontic treatment planning. The digital impression is more comfortable and accepted by the patients than the conventional impression and has a shorter working time.

The impairment of aesthetic function leads to a decreased quality of life. An unaesthetic smile due to excessive gingival exposure demands, most of the time, a complex treatment in which the objective is the vertical reduction of the amount of exposed fixed gingiva by obtaining a complete exposure of the anatomical crown of the teeth and restoring the ideal dimensions of the biological width. This paper presents a case of a 48-year-old female patient who was unsatisfied with her aesthetics and had disturbed masticatory function due to the absence of some posterior teeth. The cone beam computed tomography was performed to evaluate the facial and dental morphology. The treatment plan included diode laser and piezo-surgery utilization for the frontal area of the upper arch and implants to restore the distal area of the lower and upper arch. Zirconia ceramic was used for the final restorations. This complex and multidisciplinary full-mouth rehabilitation lasted for two years, and the patient was pleased with the result. This case showed that a well-established treatment plan is necessary to obtain long-lasting results. The use of adequate procedures and equipment ensures a predictable result.

Background and Objectives: Appropriate tooth preparation is mandatory to obtain a perfect marginal fit of fixed restorations. The heavy chamfer is the most commonly used finish line, especially for minimally invasive tooth preparation. The aim of the study was to compare the width of the finish line obtained during tooth preparation performed by experienced (university lecturers) and inexperienced persons (dental students) in different working times and positions. Materials and Methods: Forty left upper-second molars were prepared on the simulator by each participant, totalizing 160 prepared teeth. A new round-end tapered diamond was used to obtain the 0.5 mm width of the heavy chamfer. The prepared teeth were photographed using a Canon D5300 camera with a macro lens attached to a tripod. The measurements were made with the Image-Pro Insight software selecting the same eight reference points. From these points, perpendicular lines were drawn above the finish line to the axial walls and the distance between the chamfer’s outer edge and the axial wall’s inner edge was measured. GraphPad Instat and NCSS Dowson Edition software were used. The statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The mean (M) and standard deviation (SD) were calculated. The used tests: one sample t-test, ANOVA test, and Tukey–Kramer Multiple Comparisons Test. Results: Statistically significant differences were obtained according to the experience of the participant, preparation time, patient’s position, and the chamfer width on the prepared tooth different surfaces. Conclusions: Daytime or weeklong tiredness and patient position do not affect the width of the heavy chamfer prepared by experienced and inexperienced persons. The experience and the operator’s working position influence the width of the prepared finish line.

During impressions, bacteria, viruses, and fungi remain on the impression material, representing a significant risk for the medical team (dentists, dental assistants, and laboratory technicians). Impression disinfectants have been introduced into dentistry to reduce the risk of cross-infection. This study was performed by examining the surface disinfection of five commonly used impression materials in prosthodontics: alginate-Tropicalgin (Zhermack^®), condensation silicone-Zetaplus (Zhermack^®), Oranwash L (Zhermack^®); and addition silicone-Elite HD + Putty Soft (Zhermack^®), Elite + Light Body (Zhermack^®) after the disinfection with three disinfectants: Zeta 3 Soft (Zhermack^®), Zeta 7 Spray (Zhermack^®) and Zeta 7 Solution (Zhermack^®). Before disinfection, the impression materials were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Candida albicans ATCC 10213. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of the two examined specific disinfectants in reducing cross-infection risk. The surface disinfectant-spray is not adequate for impression disinfection. A high number of bacterial colonies were found on the surface of all impressions disinfected with this spray. The immersion-disinfection method effectively eliminates the risk of cross-infections (Kruskal–Wallis test showed a p < 0.001).

Background: Dentin disinfection plays an important role in prosthodontics, reducing the microbial load, preventing postoperative complications and enhancing the bond strength. This in vitro study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of different dentin disinfection protocols, depending on microorganism type, application time, and dentin depth. Methods: A total of 144 extracted human molars were included in the final analysis. The exposed dentin surfaces were contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Candida albicans (C. albicans). The specimens were disinfected using 2% chlorhexidine digluconate, 3% hydrogen peroxide, or photodynamic therapy with 1% toluidine blue. Microbial growth at superficial and deep dentin was assessed using semi-quantitative visual colony-density scores, resulting in 288 microbiological measurements. Ordinal generalized estimating equation (GEE) models, accounting for within-tooth correlation, were used to evaluate the factors associated with microbial scores. Results: The results showed statistically significant differences among protocols for MRSA (Wald χ² = 62.98; df = 5; p < 0.001) and for C. albicans (Wald χ² = 18.77; df = 5; p = 0.002). Specifically, 2% CHX applied for 30 s was associated with the greatest reduction in MRSA microbial scores (OR = 0.121; p = 0.009), whereas 3% H₂O₂ applied for 60 s was more effective against C. albicans (OR = 0.054; p < 0.001). PDT showed lower and less consistent antimicrobial effects under the tested parameters. Conclusions: The effectiveness of dentin disinfection depends on the microorganism, application time, and dentin depth. Complete elimination of the microbial load cannot be achieved using the disinfectants investigated.