DTUK13

W hy should a dentist be wor- ried about bacterial con- tamination or even worse bioflims? And by this, I don’t just mean plaque. Let us have a look on the defi- nition of “biofilm” by the University of Montana under the chairmanship of Dr David Costertone. It says: ‘‘Biofilm forms when bacteria adhere to surfaces in aqueous environ- ments and begin to excrete a slimy, glue- like substance that can anchor them to all kinds of material – such as metals, plastics, soil particles, medical implant materials, and tissue. A biofilm can be formed by a single bacterial species, but more often biofilms consist of many spe- cies of bacteria, as well as fungi, algae, protozoa, debris and corrosion products. Essentially, biofilm may form on any surface exposed to bacteria and some amount of water. Once anchored to a surface, biofilm microorganisms carry out a variety of detrimental or beneficial reactions (by human standards), depend- ing on the surrounding environmental conditions.’’ (http://www.erc.montana. edu/CBEssentials-SW/bf-basics-99/ bbasics-01.htm). A dentist’s concern? Now, why and how should this con- cern the dental practitioner? A prosthe- sis, an implant, or any device added to the oral cavity could be surrounded by biofilm once exposed to saliva. Viru- lence factors of bacteria surviving in biofilm differ heavily from planctonic ones. Infective processes can be in- duced, leading to as much as rejection of the incorporated device. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Mainz, Germany, started to research develop- ing a surface coating to reduce or even prevent biofilm from forming on devic- es, prosthesis and implants. Dr Renate Förch, the spokeswoman of the research group, has outlined the future achieve- ments on polymertechnology and the use of plasmatechnology (http://www. mpip-mainz.mpg.de/www/pages/ak- tuelles/pressemitteilungen/?year=2 010#kap_72).Involved in this project, are research institutes from Spain, the UK, Switzerland and of course Germa- ny, covered by a grant of the European Community. The biological attachment process of bacteria and the formation of biofilm are its main focus. Daily practice We deal with monomers and polymers in our daily practice. We use materi- als such as composites for restorations or veneering and help turn monomers into polymers. Polymers are chains of monomers, which offer new and unique properties. But do you remember what plasma is? Brian Kross, chief engineer at Jefferson Lab explains: ‘Plasma is the fourth state of matter… there are three states of matter; solid, liquid and gas, but there are actually four. The fourth is plasma. To put it very simply, a plasma is an ionized gas, a gas into which sufficient energy is provided to free electrons from atoms or mol- ecules and to allow both species, ions and electrons, to coexist. The funny thing about that is, that as far as we know, plasmas are the most common state of matter in the uni- verse. They are even common here on earth. A plasma is a gas that has been energised to the point that some of the electrons break free from, but travel with, their nucleus. Gases can become plasmas in several ways, but all include pumping the gas with energy. A spark in a gas will create a plasma. A hot gas passing through a big spark will turn the gas stream into a plasma that can be use- ful. Plasma torches like that are used in industry to cut metals. The biggest chunk of plasma you will see is that dear friend to all of us, the sun. The sun’s enormous heat rips electrons off the hydro- gen and helium molecules that make up the sun. Essen- tially, the sun, like most stars, is a great big ball of plasma.’ (http://education.jlab.org/ qa/plasma_01.html) Results are to be expected within the next five years. ‘Many patients will be benefit and have fewer problems after surgery re- lating to implant infections und healing delays,’ says Profesor Katharina Landfester, director at the Max-Planck-Institute for Polymertechnology. DT A light at the end of the tunnel? Professor Liviu Steier asks if there’s a future for bacteria- free dental devices such as implants Implant trIbune Implant Tribune Active implant Dr Tidu Mankoo presents an interdisciplinary case page 12-15 Implant Tribune Screw vs cement Prof Steier looks at the comparison of using screw or cement retained techniques page 16-17 Implant Tribune Gordian knot Kenneth Serota discusses the Endodontic Implant Algorithm page 18-22 Excellent Quality Excellent Value ...Why compromise All trade marks acknowledged. Offers subject to availability not valid with any other offers, price match or special pricing arrangements. All prices exclude VAT. Offer valid until 30th June 2010. Terms and conditions apply. E. & O.E. www.precisiondental.co.uk Tel: 020 8236 0606 5020 8236 0070 A-Silicone Fast Set Putty Hydrophilic Impression Material from £27.50 per pack (base + catalyst) • Super hydrophilic, thixotropic – NO SLUMPING • Convenient handling and easy to mix • Exceptional dimensional stability • Ample working time yet reduced setting time • Soft on insertion in the mouth for greater patient comfort • Easily removed from the mouth with optimum elastic recovery • Excellent storage stability • For best results use with Uposil Wash material Superior Quality impressions Light-cured Universal Microhybrid Composite only £12.50 per 4g syringe Proud to be assosiated with Tribune_apr10:Precision 16/4/10 15:12 Page 1 About the author Dr Liviu Steier (PhD) is Spezialist fuer Prothe- tik (www.dgzmk.de) and specialist in Eendodon- tics (GDC-UK). He is an honorary clinical associ- ate professor at Warwick Medical School and course director of the MSc in Endodontics (www.war- wick.ac.uk/go/dentistry). He is a mem- ber of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Journal of Endodontics (AAE) and maintains a private referral practice for endodontics, implantology, etc at 20 Wimpole Street, W1G 8GF London (www.msdentistry.co.uk).