The disfigurement associated due to the loss of an eye can cause a significant physical and psychological disturbance. Psychological distress among such unfortunate patients can be reduced by providing an artificial eye. Rehabilitating such patients with an ocular defects is the most challenging task for a prosthodontist. The custom-made ocular prostheses are preferred over the prefabricated stock eye shells as it provides intimate contact with the tissue bed, enabling an ideal fit. For an esthetic ocular prosthesis, the precise positioning of an iris is a primary requirement to avoid the squint eye appearance. Various case reports are documented in the literature for centralizing the iris in the prosthetic eye. This review article explores the established methods and techniques for positioning the iris in a custom-made ocular prosthesis.

Aims: The intraoral microbiota has a high potential to undergo dysbiosis, causing inflammatory changes with respect to the tissues surrounding either a natural tooth or an implant. Thus, the longevity of implant prosthesis depends on a thorough implant decontamination protocol. Among all the techniques available for doing so, laser is garnering increasing popularity, owing to minimal bleeding, high efficiency, and faster healing. However, limited literature exists regarding the superiority of lasers over chlorhexidine (CHX), the indisputable gold standard antibacterial chemical agent. The aim of this study was to compare the percentage of bacterial reduction of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans from implant healing abutments post red diode laser therapy versus 0.2% CHX treatment. Settings and Design: The current study had an ex vivo, observational, case–control design. Materials and Methods: Patients reporting for the second stage of the implant surgery were taken as the source of data and the healing abutments, the clinical samples. Eleven patients were chosen with one intraoral implant serving as the test site for laser treatment and another, the control site for CHX treatment. Microbiological analysis was performed via quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction to compare the bacterial reduction percentage after each treatment. Statistical Analysis Used: Repeated measures ANOVA and independent sample t test were used. Results: The mean bacterial viability of the test group (laser) was 1.2%–1.6%, and 0.6%–1.4% for the control group (CHX). The former caused a mean bacterial reduction of 96.1% while the latter, 96.3%. Both the treatments caused a highly statistically significant reduction of viable bacterial counts (P = 0.001). However, when compared, there was no statistically significant difference in the bacterial reduction, when compared in between the two (P = 0.902). Conclusion: Laser treatment is at par with chemical implant surface decontamination. It can help bypass the complications of CHX and revolutionize the protocols for implant surface decontamination.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the accuracy of hexed and nonhexed pickup impression copings with and without splinting using polyether (PE) and polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) impression materials in open-tray technique in recording multiple straight and angulated implant positions. Settings and Design: An accurate impression results in an accurate definitive cast, thus minimizing the incidence of prosthesis misfit. The critical aspect is to record the three-dimensional location of the implant in bone rather than reproducing fine surface details. Precise fit of a fixed implant-supported prosthesis depends on the accuracy of the implant analog location within the definitive cast. Factors which affect impression accuracy include implant angulation, impression material, impression copings, technique, and splinting. Materials and Methods: A sample size of 80 study models fabricated from the impression of different groups was included. A reference master model based on All-on-4 implant concept with two parallel (implants 1 and 2) and two angulated (implant 3 at 17° and implant 4 at 30°) was fabricated using implant angulation guide. All impressions were recorded using open-tray impression technique. The groups were divided into two main groups of 40 samples each. Group A used hexed open-tray impression copings and Group B used nonhexed open-tray impression copings. Both the groups involved impression recording using splinted (Subgroup I) and nonsplinted impression copings (Subgroup II). Further, impressions in each subgroup were made using PE (Subsubgroups a) and PVS (Subsubgroup b). A total of eight subsubgroups with ten samples each were included. Impressions were recorded for each group and poured into Type IV die stone for fabrication of study models. After 24 h, the study models and reference master model were fitted with implant abutments for measurement with coordinate measuring machine. Statistical Analysis Used: The mean differences of the interimplant distance R1 (1–2), R2 (1–3), R3 (2–4), and R4 (3–4) between the reference model and sample models in different subsubgroups were calculated and three-way analysis of variance test was applied with Tukey's post hoc tests. Results: No significant difference was found in mean coronal deviations for distance R1, R2, and R3 (P > 0.05) between different study groups. P = 0.02 for R4 (distance between 17° and 30° implants) between impression materials subsubgroups suggested that significantly less distortion was created in location of highly angulated implants (>30°) using PVS impression material. Splinting and type of coping did not have a significant influence on impression accuracy. Increasing angulation decreased the accuracy. Conclusion: PVS was found equivalent in accuracy to rigid PE for recording parallel or angulated implants. Impressions of implants with higher angulations were recorded more accurately with PVS. The study found no difference in accuracy with or without splinting. Furthermore, nonhexed impression copings facilitate easier and accurate recording of multiple angulated implant location in bone.

Aim: To evaluate the changes in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) vibrations after insertion of the complete denture in edentulous patients. Settings and Design: An observational in vivo study conducted to evaluate the changes in maximum mouth opening, total integrals, peak amplitude, and peak frequency in TMJ vibrations on the day of complete denture insertion and 6 months of follow up. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients (male: 12 and female: 8) were selected for the fabrication of balanced complete dentures following conventional procedure. Joint vibration analysis was recorded using the joint vibration analyzer. The patients were instructed to open as wide as possible and close to the intercuspal position with rhythmic speed following the metronome projected on the screen. The TMJ vibrations were amplified and displayed as waveforms in a graphical representation by system software. Statistical Analysis Used: Wilcoxon test. Results: A significant decrease in the total integral (P = 0.001) and peak amplitude (P = 0.044) for opening and closing movements of the left and right joints was observed. There was no significant change in maximum mouth opening (P = 0.624). A decrease in peak frequency was noted only at left opening movements between the day of insertion and at 6 months (P = 0.025). Conclusion: The function of TMJ mechanics was improved till 6 months after insertion of complete denture with balanced articulation (BA).

Aim: This study evaluated the color aging of two computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) provisional materials of different compositions (polymethyl methacrylate and composite resin) after exposure to thermal aging and immersion in coffee for 3, 6, and 12 intraoral months. Setting and Design: The current in vitro study was conducted from September to December 2021 at the Craniofacial laboratory at the Saint Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon. Materials and Methods: The shades of 2.0 mm thick, 10.0 mm in diameter disk shaped specimens of VITA CAD Temp^® and Ceramill^® TEMP were measured using the VITA Linearguide 3D MASTER^® and a conversion table to extract the CIE L*a*b* values on a white background (n = 30). Statistical Analysis Used: The color differences ΔE at 3, 6, and 12 months were calculated and analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA followed by Bonferroni multiple comparisons, univariate analyses, and one sample t tests. Results: The mean ΔE_T1/T0, ΔE_T2/T0, and ΔE_T3/T0 values were significantly higher than the cutoff values for acceptability and perceptibility for the VITA CAD Temp^® and the Ceramill^® TEMP groups. In addition, the increase in ΔE overtime was significantly greater in the Ceramill^® TEMP group compared to the VITA CAD Temp^® group. Conclusions: The Ceramill^® TEMP changed color more and faster than the VITA CAD Temp^®. In addition, whether at 3, 6, or 12 months, the color variations of both materials are not only perceptible but also unacceptable compared to the initial shade.

Aim: The intention was to determine the chemical interaction of silanized AgNPs with PMMA by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Settings and Design: In-vitro comparative study. Materials and Methods: This study is composed of four groups – 0.75% AgNP, 1.0% AgNP, 1.5% AgNP impregnated with PMMA, and nonimpregnated PMMA as control. The chemical nature of silanized AgNPs was studied using FTIR study. Results: The results showed the appearance of new peak between 1727/cm and 1436/cm, i.e., 1636.476/ cm, 1645.886/cm, and 1646.885/cm, representing the C = C stretch in the experimental groups, i.e., 2, 3, and 4, respectively. This peak confirms that coupling agent has chemically interacted with PMMA. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the AgNPs coated with the silane coupling agent TMSPM has chemically reacted with PMMA.

Aim: The present study was aimed to investigate the functional relationship between the mixing temperature and properties of a commercially available zinc oxide eugenol impression paste (ZnOE paste). Settings and Design: In-vitro study. Materials and Methods: A custom-made simulated mixing device was indigenously designed to maintain different mixing temperatures, simulating cold, ambient, and hot weather. A commercially available ZnOE paste was mixed according to the manufacturer's instructions in the simulated mixing device at the temperatures ranging from 10°C to 50°C. Initial setting time and consistency were measured according to A. D. A. Specification No. 16 (n = 8). A stainless-steel die having 25, 50, and 75 μm lines was used for surface detail reproduction. Detail reproduction of the stone casts of the impressions was evaluated with a stereomicroscope at 30 magnification (n = 8). The shear bond strength of ZnOE paste to self-cure acrylic tray resin was measured by using the UTM at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min (n = 8). Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed by using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc tests at a confidence interval of 95% (alpha =0.05) Results: Initial setting time, consistency, and detail reproduction of the ZnOE paste were affected by the mixing temperature (P < 0.001). Mixing ZnOE paste at a lower temperature of 10°C and higher temperatures of 40°C and 50°C resulted in shorter initial setting time, thicker consistency, and poor detail reproduction. However, no significant difference was obtained in the shear bond strength among the different mixing temperatures evaluated (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Based on this in vitro study, it is advisable to perform the manipulation of ZnOE paste at a clinical/laboratory temperature of 30°C for optimum performance. The simulated mixing device used in this study can be an alternative for extreme climatic conditions.

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to examine the optical properties, chemical composition, and grain size (GS) of monolithic zirconia (MZ) ceramic at different thicknesses sintered using different procedures after hydrothermal aging. Settings and Design: An in vitro study. Materials and Methods: Forty MZ discs (0.5-mm thickness [Group-0.5] and 1-mm thickness [Group-1]; 12 mm diameter) were milled and divided according to standard (Group-ST) and speed (Group-SP) sintering procedures. All specimens were hydrothermally aged at 134°C after sintering. Translucency (TP), opalescence (OP), and fluorescence (ΔE_ab*-FL) parameters were calculated using the color coordinates (L*, a*, b*, respectively) of the discs. The chemical composition and the GS of the specimens were characterized using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and a scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Statistical Analysis Used: TPs and ΔE_ab*-FLs were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and Mann–Whitney U-tests while a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for OPs. Results: Group-1 showed significantly lower TP than Group-0.5 (P < 0.001) but a significantly higher OP (P = 0.014). Group-SP showed significantly higher OP (P = 0.00003) and ΔE_ab*-FL (P = 0.0026) values than Group-ST without considering the thickness. Group-SP (0.29 ± 0.119 μm) had a smaller GS than Group-ST (0.306 ± 0.142 μm). Compared to Group-ST, Group-SP had a lower percentage of Y₂O₃ and a higher percentage of Al₂O₃. Conclusion: The effect of the sintering procedure on TP and OP of MZ was not perceived by the naked eye. The speed sintering procedure may increase Δ E_*ab-FL of MZ to higher values than natural teeth when compared with standard sintering. The speed sintering may cause minor changes in GS and the chemical composition of MZ.

Aim: The fabrication of an accurate prosthesis depends mainly on precise recording of the maxillo—mandibular relationship of the patient and transferring it to the articulator. BDIMPRESS is a new thermoplastic material that has been proposed as a potential material to be used as an inter-occlusal registration, but there has been no literature evidence regarding its application as a bite registration. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the dimensional stability, detail reproduction, and compressive resistance of new interocclusal recording material with other two commonly used materials. Settings and Design: In Vitro Comparative study. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted according to ADA Specification standards of testing for dimensional stability, detail reproduction and compressive resistance. Specimens were prepared for three different materials (Thermoplastic resin, Polyvinyl siloxane, and Bis- acrylic) with 12 samples each. Statistical Analysis Used: One way ANOVA was done for statistical analysis. Results: Polyvinyl siloxane material was dimensionally stable (mean at 1 hr: 24.928 mm; 24 hrs: 24.919 mm & 48 hrs: 24.912 mm) followed by Bis- acrylic material (mean at 1 hr: 24.851 mm; 24 hrs: 24.825 mm & 48 hrs: 24.815 mm). On one way ANOVA, strong significance was observed between groups (P = 0.00). Thermoplastic resin showed higher amount of detail reproduction with 10 (out of 12 samples) samples showing satisfactory results. While bis- acrylic material showed the least compressive resistance (Strain %: 0.484%; Displacement- 0.0990mm). One-way ANOVA showed presence of significance between the groups (P = 0.024). Conclusion: Polyvinyl siloxane showed superior dimensional stability, thermoplastic resin showed better detail reproduction and bis- acrylic showed high resistance to compression over other materials.

Aim: To assess the relationship between oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) and gerotranscendence among elderly subjects in Davangere city. Settings and Design: Field Setting and cross-sectional survey design. Materials and Methods: Study involved a stratified sample of 400 elderly population aged 60 years and above. Data related to demographic details, systemic and oral health related factors, nutritional status, gerotranscendence level and geriatric oral health related quality of life of study participants was recorded using study proforma, Mini Nutritional Scale Assessment- Short form (MNA-SF) index, Gerotranscendence Scale Type 2 (GST2) questionnaire and GOHAI questionnaire respectively. Statistical Analysis Used: Significance level was fixed at P < 0.05. Chi-square, Pearson's/Spearman's correlation and Multiple linear regression tests were used for analysis. Results: Participants had good oral health related quality of life (mean GOHAI - 41.33±10.8) and moderate level of gerotranscendence (GST2- 19.5 ± 8.7). The gerotranscendence scores were significantly (P<0.05) negatively correlated with socioeconomic status (r = -0.19), education (r = -0.55), self-perceived oral health (r = -0.43), nutritional status (r = -0.64), GOHAI (r = -0.17), utilization of dental services (r = -0.26) and marital status (r = -0.39) and were significantly (P < 0.05) positively correlated with age (r = 0.77), systemic problems (r = 0.49), number of missing teeth (r = 0.57), self-perceived need for treatment (r = 0.24), and pan chewing (r = 0.62). Gerotranscendence was not a significant predictor of GOHAI (P = 0.43). Conclusion: Gerotranscendence was negatively correlated with oral health related quality of life among elderly population in Davanagere city.

Aim: The present study was done to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of different provisional materials, especially polycaprolactone (PCL) and their application in prosthodontic practice. Setting and Design: A questionnaire based survey was carried out to assess the knowledge and awareness of PCL and its applications as provisional material in prosthodontic practice. Materials and Method: A questionnaire-based descriptive study consisting of 10 questions related to different provisional materials and their applications in prosthodontic practice was formulated on Google Forms. The link was created and circulated among the prosthodontist faculty members of various dental institutes and private practitioners of India with the use of digital platforms such as E-mail and social media. The data were collected and examined using Microsoft Excel software for statistical evaluation. Statistical Analysis Used: For this descriptive type of study, knowledge and awareness among prosthodontists across India was evaluated using Microsoft Excel software. Results: The use of PCL was known only to 20.75% of prosthodontists. Moreover, its application and indications are known to only <1% of the study participants. Autopolymerizing resin was most commonly used for the custom tray and temporary base fabrication as well as temporization in crown and bridge prosthesis, while muscle deprogrammer and surgical template were commonly fabricated in heat-cure and clear acrylic resin, respectively. Pattern resin was found to be commonly used in splinting implant impression copings. Conclusion: The use of PCL as a temporary denture base, custom tray, muscle deprogrammer, implant impression splinting, and provisional for crown and bridge and templates should be encouraged and incorporated to get benefits of its characteristic properties. Considering the overall performance of PCL, its use should be incorporated into prosthodontic research and practice.

Aim: This study aimed to compare the performance of two deep learning algorithms, attention-based gated recurrent unit (GRU), and the artificial neural networks (ANNs) algorithm for coloring silicone maxillofacial prostheses. Settings and Design: This was an in vitro study. Materials and Methods: A total of 21 silicone samples in different colors were produced with four pigments (white, yellow, red, and blue). The color of the samples was measured with a spectrophotometer, then the L*, a*, and b* values were recorded. The relationship between the L*, a*, and b* values of each sample and the amount of each pigment in the compound of the same sample was used as the training dataset, entered into each algorithm, and the prediction models were obtained. While generating the prediction model for each sample, the data of the corresponding sample assigned as the target color were excluded. L*, a*, and b* values of each target sample were entered into the obtained models separately, and recipes indicating the ratios for mixing the four pigments were predicted. The mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) values between the original recipe used in the production of each silicone and the recipe created by both prediction models for the same silicone were calculated. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed with the Student t-test (α=0.05). Results: The mean RMSE values and MAE values for the ANN algorithm (0.029 ± 0.0152 and 0.045 ± 0.0235, respectively) were found significantly higher than the attention-based GRU model (0.001 ± 0.0005 and 0.002 ± 0.0008, respectively) (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Attention-based GRU model provided better performance than the ANN algorithm with respect to the MAE and RMSE values.

Aim: The present study assessed the impact of demographics and tobacco habits on oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) among complete denture patients. Setting and Design: Prospective cohort study design. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and eighty four edentulous patients, aged above 30 years, were chosen as the sample for the study after taking informed consent. Information regarding demographic data and smoking status was obtained from each participant. OHRQoL was evaluated using the Oral Health Impact Profile Edentulousness (OHIP EDENT) quantifying various domains, namely functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical disability, psychological disability, social disability, and handicap. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23.0 (IBM; Chicago, Illinois, USA). Mann–Whitney U test was applied to find significant differences in OHRQoL between gender, age, and smoking status. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: It was seen that complete denture wearers above 65 years had higher OHIP EDENT scores as compared to younger counterparts suggesting the compromised quality of life in the functional domain which was statistically significant. Psychological discomfort was greater in females while physical disability seemed higher in males. Smoking was found to be a factor associated with decreased OHRQoL. Conclusion: Older age groups, female gender, and smoking were factors associated with decreased OHRQoL among complete denture patients.

Dementia in Alzheimer's disease complicates the caregivers in tracking the patients. Many options are discussed in the literature. A novel technique is essential to improve the quality of life and to assist in locating the patients. The Global Position System (GPS) trackers are attached to dentures and the movements are observed through a mobile application. This technique discusses on a simple method of tracking Alzheimer's edentulous patients with the support of removable dentures. Denture tracking devices are a secured form of tracking patients. A GPS device in dentures assists in locating the patient's movement and supports the caretakers.

The importance of a judicious and unerring abutment tooth preparation in the field of prosthodontics has always been paramount. It is not uncommon for many clinicians to face challenges during laboratory fabrication of fixed prostheses, caused due to inappropriate occlusal clearance and over axial wall taper of the abutment tooth. With evolving technologies and methods, the modus operandi for attaining such tooth preparation is varying; however, every technique has its own shortcomings. The technique mentioned in the article is cost-effective as it uses modified Heister mouth gag forceps to achieve the desired objective of evaluating the prepared abutment morphology three-dimensionally with minimum chairside time.