Containment measures adopted to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have produced a general perception of job insecurity. Dentists have been highly affected by such measures, as they represent an easy source of contagion. As perceived job insecurity is associated with psychological distress and Italian dentists have been highly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak in terms of potential financial loss and the risk of being infected, this study aimed at assessing whether the fear of COVID-19 moderated the effect of perceived job insecurity on depressive symptoms. This cross-sectional online study has included 735 Italian dentists recruited during the lockdown and ranging in age from 27 to 70 years old (495 men and 240 women). A quantile regression model with an inference based on the median and with an interaction term between the fear of COVID-19 and perceived job insecurity has been used to estimate the hypothesized associations. The results indicated that both perceived job insecurity and fear of COVID-19 were positively associated with depressive symptoms, and that the effect of perceived job insecurity on depressive symptoms was weaker among those with a low fear of COVID-19. The findings may inform public health policies for dentists in relation to reducing the risk of developing negative mental health outcomes.

Dental anxiety is a crucial problem for dentistry because it may represent a significant risk to oral health. Different factors, whether non‐cognitive (e.g., traumatic dental events) or cognitive (e.g., the patient's subjective perceptions), may cause dental anxiety. However, previous studies have assessed these factors as independent predictors of dental anxiety, without providing any exploration of potential mediational pathways. The current study assessed the role of certain cognitive dimensions (i.e., the dentist's perceived professionalism and communicational attitudes, and the patient's perceived lack of control) as mediators between traumatic dental events and dental anxiety. The sample comprised 253 patients who had accessed a public university hospital dental surgery. The mediation analysis used a structural equation modeling. Traumatic dental events were positively associated with dental anxiety but, among the cognitive factors, only lack of control was. Furthermore, lack of control mediated the relationship between traumatic dental events and dental anxiety, although this mediation was only partial. This study sheds light on the mechanisms through which non‐cognitive and cognitive factors may affect dental anxiety. The clinical implications for dental practice, in terms of improving the psychological well‐being of patients, are discussed.

Peri-implant soft tissues play a role of paramount importance, not only on the esthetic appearance, but also on the maintenance and long-term stability of implants. The present report presents the conclusions from the Consensus Conference of the South European North African Middle Eastern Implantology & Modern Dentistry Association (SENAME) (4–6 November 2016, Cairo, Egypt). The conference focused on the topic of the soft tissue around dental implants, and in particular, on the influence of implant configurations on the marginal soft tissues, soft tissue alterations after immediate, early or delayed implant placement and immediate loading, the long-term outcomes of soft tissue stability around dental implants, and soft tissue augmentation around dental implants. Thirty world experts in this field were invited to take part in this two-day event; however, only 29 experts were in the final consensus voting process.

Background: Extraction of deep‐impacted mandibular third molars may lead to periodontal defects at the distal surface of the adjacent second molar. The purpose of this study was to compare the ability of three regenerative approaches to prevent third molar extraction‐related periodontal defects.Methods: Forty‐five patients with bilateral osseous or soft tissue–impacted lower third molars were selected to participate in the study. Inclusion criteria were the presence of a pocket that was located distally to the mandibular second molar with a probing depth (PD) ≥7 mm and with a probing clinical attachment level (CAL) ≥6 mm. Ninety third molar impactions were used and were randomly assigned to three equal treatment groups (30 each): bovine porous bone mineral (BPBM) alone, BPBM plus collagen membrane (CM), and an untreated control group. Clinical and radiographic measurements were recorded at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 months after the surgery.Results: BPBM or BPBM + CM resulted in a significant reduction in PD and gain in CAL compared to the control group at all time points. BPBM + CM had the best outcome for the prevention of a second‐molar periodontal defect.Conclusion: The application of BPBM, with or without a collagen membrane, can be a viable and stable treatment to alleviate the periodontal defects that are often associated with impacted mandibular third molar extractions.

Background: Altered sensation can occur after the placement or loading of mandibular implants. Limited evidence exists with regard to the proper distance between the implant and the mandibular nerve to ensure the nerve's integrity and physiologic activity. The proper distance should come from evaluation of clinical data as well as from biomechanical analyses.Methods: A numeric mandibular model based on the boundary element method was created to simulate a mandibular segment containing a threaded fixture so that the pressure on the trigeminal nerve, as induced by the occlusal loads, could be assessed. Such pressure distributions were evaluated with different distances of the fixture from the mandibular canal and considering different bone densities. Although all simulations considered a canal that was orthogonal to the implant axis, in one case, the effects of an inclined canal were analyzed.Results: The nerve pressure increased rapidly with a bone density decrease. A low mandibular cortical bone density caused a major nerve pressure increase.Conclusion: Our study suggested a distance of 1.5 mm to prevent implant damage to the underlying inferior alveolar nerve when biomechanical loading was taken into consideration.