Implant platform switching concept: an updated review
Purpose: To review published articles dealing with platform switched implants in order to assess survival rates and clarify their influence both on marginal bone loss around the cervical region of the implant and on soft tissue aesthetics.Material and Methods: PubMed and GallileUM databases were used to identify any studies or clinical cases involving implant platform switching published between January 2000 and August 2008. Studies both of human beings and animals were reviewed whenever they included the relevant implant diameter, length, surface and connection data.Results: Twelve studies of platform switching in humans (75%) and in animal models (25%) were evaluated.Mean implant length w…
Pharmacological interactions of vasoconstrictors
This article is the first of a series on pharmacological interactions involving medicaments commonly prescribed and/or used in odontology: vasoconstrictors in local anaesthetics and anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial analgesics. The necessity for the odontologist to be aware of adverse reactions as a result of the pharmacological interactions is due to the increase in medicament consumption by the general population. There is a demographic change with greater life expectancy and patients have increased chronic health problems and therefore have increased medicament intake. The presence of adrenaline (epinephrine) and other vasoconstrictors in local odontological anaesthetics is beneficial…
Pharmacological interactions of anti-microbial agents in odontology
In this third article we describe the pharmacological interactions resulting from the use of anti-microbial agents. Although the antimicrobials prescribed in odontology are generally safe they can produce interactions with other medicaments which can give rise to serious adverse reactions which are well documented in clinical studies. Antibiotics with grave and dangerous life threatening consequences are erythromycin, clarithromycin and metronidazol and the anti-fungal agents are ketoconazol and itraconazol. Regarding the capacity of the anti-microbials to reduce the efficacy of oral anti-contraceptives the clinical studies to date are inconclusive, however, it would be prudent for the oral…
Extractions without eliminating anticoagulant treatment: A literature review
To establish whether there is a high enough risk of bleeding in patients who take oral anticoagulants, such that it would justify not using oral anticoagulants when performing a dental extraction, as well as if the reason for and anatomical location of the extraction increases such risk. Study We performed a bibliographic search in order to carry out a meta-analytic study using descriptive statistics. We compiled a sample of 1194 patients from the articles selected. Of these patients, a total of 2392 simple, serial surgical extractions were performed; none of the patients interrupted their anticoagulant treatment with warfarin sodium. Of the sample, 83 patients presented a certain degree of…
Pharmacological interactions of anti-inflammatory-analgesics in odontology.
In this second article we describe the more interesting pharmacological interactions in dental practice based on the prescription of analgesic narcotics, paracetamol and non-selective non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAI) (which inhibit cyclooxigenase 1 ?COX 1- and cyclooxigenase 2 ?COX 2-) and selective NSAIs (COX 2 inhibitors). The importance of preventing the appearance of these pharmacological interactions is because these are medicaments prescribed daily in odontology for moderate pain treatment and inflammation in the oral cavity. Paracetamol can interact with warfarin and therefore care should be taken with chronic alcoholic patients. All NSAIs reduce renal blood flow and conseq…