The use of implants in the oral and maxillofacial skeleton continues to expand and since then implant surfaces have been modified in various ways to improve biocompatibility and accelerate osseointegration, which results in a shorter edentulous period for a patient. This article reviewed several methods that are widely used to modify the topography or chemistry of titanium surface, including blasting, acid etching, anodic oxidation, fluoride treatment, and calcium phosphate coating. Such modified surfaces demonstrate faster and stronger osseointegration than the turned commercially pure titanium surface.

Healthy mouth needs a stable occlusal relationship to help in efficient mastication, maintaining vertical dimension of the face, stabilizing the arches, and protecting the soft tissues. Restorative dentistry loses its significance in the absence of good occlusion. Poorly occluding restored tooth surfaces not only provide a deleterious effect to the tooth and its associated periodontium but also to the dentition of the opposing arch. The damaging effects of premature contacts, cuspal interferences, faulty proximal contacts, etc., have an adverse influence on the overall health of stomatognathic system. In this article, the significance of establishing occlusal anatomy while restoring teeth to maintain healthy and harmonious occlusion has been described.

Objective: To compare the effect of different immersion regimes in a cola drink on surface microhardness of esthetic restorative materials. Subjects and Methods: Two hundred samples were grouped into four equal groups of fifty samples each: Group I - conventional glass ionomer, Group II – resin-modified glass ionomer, Group III - polyacid-modified resin composite, and Group IV - composite resin. Each group was further subdivided into five subgroups of ten samples each: Subgroup A - samples were kept immersed in artificial saliva. Subgroup B - samples were immersed in cola drink once a day. Subgroup C - samples were immersed in cola drink, three times a day. Subgroup D - Samples were immersed in cola drink five times a day. Subgroup E - samples were immersed in cola drink ten times a day. Each immersion lasted 5 min. The immersion protocol was repeated for 7 days. Results: Maximum microhardness was seen in composite resin samples followed by conventional glass ionomer, polyacid-modified resin composite, and least microhardness was seen in resin-modified glass ionomer. Conclusion: Resistance to change in surface microhardness was seen in the following sequence: Composite resin > polyacid-modified resin composite > resin-modified glass ionomer > conventional glass ionomer.

The successful treatment of a badly broken down tooth with pulpal disease depends not only on a good endodontic therapy but also on a good prosthodontic reconstruction of the tooth following the root canal treatment. Often, we come across an endodontically treated tooth with little or no clinical crown. In such cases, a postspace is prepared into the canal for the cementation of post and an artificial crown structure called the core is prepared over it to support the fixed partial denture. Post and cores though commonly used now have their own limitations. Failures associated with these systems include the loss of retention of posts and fracture of roots or even root perforations. Moreover, placement of a post in situations with limited interarch space is a challenge for any dentist. The failure rate associated with the conventional techniques would be higher in these conditions. This case report discusses an alternative technique of restoration of a badly broken down endodontically treated tooth with a specially designed post and core attachment to provide the necessary resistance and retention form for the overlying prosthesis in patients with limited interarch space.

The authors analyzed the clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical findings of a slowly growing palatal gland tumor in a 34-year-old female. The cut surface of the excised mass showed multilocular cystic spaces with grayish brown solid areas. Histological findings demonstrated a benign tumor with multicystic spaces and focal solid epithelial cells lined by benign squamous epithelial cells. The overlying epithelium was parakeratinized and without a granular layer. The cystic spaces were filled with keratin material. On immunohistochemistry examination, the tumor cells were found positive for HMWCK, focally for CK7, CK19 and p63 and Mib-1 labeling was approximately 1%. There was no evidence of recurrence after 8 months of resection. The data from this case and previously published studies suggest that keratocystoma of both major and minor salivary glands is a benign neoplasm and that surgical resection is apparently a sufficient treatment modality.