Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition | 01/2023 UK NEWS ▶ Page 1 - Taking stock and looking ahead Yet to come There are some interesting tech- nologies currently being intro- duced and in development that could have a positive impact on dental implantology in the future. For example, there is navigation software that allows the clinician to prepare the dental implant site using the CBCT scan in real time as a kind of virtual guide. It offers an alternative way to provide guided surgery, allowing for a freehand approach that makes use of digital technology for more accurate and confident dental implant place- ment. This kind of technology is still quite new to the field, but it is likely to become a more popular technique as the software evolves. The other area in which changes are afoot is the management of peri-implantitis. Prevalence is dif- ficult to measure, but according to current research, it occurs in 12.5% and 19.5% of cases at implant level and patient level, respectively.1 A leading cause of dental implant complications, it remains a disease that is not fully understood by the profession or by patients. Prof. Niklaus Lang from Queen Mary University of London once said at a conference I attended: "Peri- odontitis was made by God; peri-implantitis was made by man." This illustrates the differ- ence between the two diseases, and we must develop manage- ment techniques that take this into consideration. As a specialist peri- odontist, this is a topic I am pas- sionate about, and the Association of Dental Implantology has long recognised it as an important area for the progression of the field. We have held events dedicated to dis- cussing the challenges of peri-im- plantitis and exploring potential solutions for this very reason. For the future, how we clean den- tal implants will likely be further scrutinised. There is already tech- nology available for electrolytic cleaning of the dental implant sur- face, which has been shown to in- activate bacterial biofilm far better than using a powder-spray sys- tem.2 Given the spotlight on pre- vention of bacterial infection in the UK dental implant field, effec- tive new ways of cleaning the products that we use would be widely welcomed. Of course, this will be in addition to, or perhaps even second to, pre- vention of the disease in the first place. We know the risk factors for peri-implantitis, but if we can hone in on the exact mechanisms be- hind development, then we could change the game entirely for many patients. With more research, a greater understanding of the dis- ease and the next generation of technology and materials, we will be even better equipped to stop peri-implantitis before it becomes a problem. Aside from these, there will no doubt be a shift in some of the other clinical techniques and products employed as part of the dental implant workflow in the near future. For example, socket shielding is being brought to the fore at professional events, and novel dental implant designs are being worked on to help further minimise potential complications. It is an exciting time to be involved in the dental implant field and to utilise many new innovations as they reach the market. Concen- 2 Dr Amit Patel is a periodontist. He graduated in dentistry from the University of Liverpool in the UK in 1997 and obtained his membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 2000. Dr Patel also underwent a four-year training programme in periodon- tics and implantology at what is now King’s College London Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofa- cial Sciences in the UK, achieving a master’s degree in pe- riodontics and clinical dentistry. Passionate about providing specialist dentistry to the highest degree, Dr Patel also trains other dental professionals. As associate specialist in periodontics and honorary clinical lecturer at the University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry in the UK, he teaches at undergraduate and postgradua- te level. He also lectures both nationally and internationally and is the current president of the Association of Dental Implantology, the UK’s leading professional organisation in the field. More information can be found at www. adi.org.uk. trating on science-backed and ev- idence-based solutions remains crucial, but we can expect to de- liver ever-better dental implant treatment to pa- tients years come. in the to Refe- ren- ces E, LJ, 1. Diaz P, Gonzalo Villagra Miegimolle B, Suarez MJ. What is the prevalence of peri-implantitis? A systematic re- view and meta-analysis. BMC Oral Health. 2022 Oct 19;22(1):449. doi: 10.1186/s12903-022-02493-8. 2. Ratka C, Weigl P, Henrich D, Koch F, Schlee M, Zipprich H. The effect of in vitro electrolytic clean- ing on biofilm-contaminated im- plant surfaces. J Clin Med. 2019 Sep 6;8(9):1397. doi: 10.3390/ jcm8091397. Erratum in: J Clin Med. 2022 Feb 8;11(3):882. doi: 10.3390/jcm11030882. High su gar levels in vegan ready m eals, war n s cam paign group Action on Sugar, a campaigning group which informs and influ- ences sugar reduction policies in the UK, warns that vegan ready meals can contain more than seven times as much sugar as meat-based alternatives. They urge consumers to check food la- bels before purchasing these seemingly healthy options. The sugar advisory group has highlighted a butternut, almond and pecan nut roast from the Plant Kitchen range at Marks & Spencer, which has 7.7 g of sugar per 100 g, compared with M&S's roast beef Yorkshire pudding meal, which contains 1.1 g of sugar. Addition- ally, the Plant Kitchen version of spaghetti Bolognese has 3.6 g of sugar per 100 g compared with 2.3 g in the meat version. High sugar levels in vegan food isn't exclusive to ready meals. Ac- tion on Sugar also found that vegan food at restaurant and fast- food chains can also be high in sugar and salt, including pizzas, chilli, burgers and pies. Nutritionist Zoe Davies, of Action on Sugar, said products labelled 'vegan' and 'plant based' are not necessarily healthy, while there is research to suggest that many people wrongly believe they are. Despite the decreasing levels of tooth decay over the past de- cades, it still remains one of the most common problems in the UK, second only to the common cold. It is estimated that one in three adults suffers from dental caries and close to one in four children equally suffer from some form of tooth decay. World Health Organization re- search shows evidence that dental caries incidence is lower when free sugars intake is less than 10% of energy intake. Dental hygienist and nutritionist Juliette Reeves comments: "Re- cent research suggests a link be- IMPRINT INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS PUBLISHER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF- FICER: Torsten OEMUS CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER: Claudia Duschek Dental Tribune International GmbH Holbeinstr. 29, 04229 Leipzig, Germany Tel.: +49 341 4847 4302 Fax: +49 341 4847 4173 General requests: info@dental-tribune.com Sales requests: mediasales@dental-tribune.com www.dental-tribune.com Material from Dental Tribune International GmbH that has been reprinted or translated and reprinted tween dental erosion and the vegan diet. An increased con- sumption of acidic foods in the diet seems to be the culprit. In ad- B12 is found only in animal pro- duce, and although the body needs relatively small amounts, gastro-intestinal conditions, pro- m o c . i k c o t s r e t t u h S / o d u t s - k c o t s o r P © High sugar levels in vegan ready meals, warns campaign group. dition, high levels of hidden sugars increase the risk of dental caries. The vegan diet is particularly at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency in the long term. longed antibiotic use, potassium chloride supplementation and some cholesterol lowering drugs can adversely affect B12 synthesis and absorption from the gut. Pro- cessed foods and the refining of grains vastly reduces B vitamin levels and inadequate protein in- take can also affect B vitamin sta- tus. Avoiding processed foods and ensuring the inclusion of a wide range of fresh foods such as cere- als, nuts and pulses provides ade- quate complete proteins, good vi- tamin B complex intake and lower sugar, salt and saturated fats in the diet. So, whilst the adoption of a vege- tarian or vegan diet has health benefits such as a lower mean BMI, cholesterol, and a lower mortality from ischaemic heart disease, sim- ply avoiding animal products or relying on processed ready-made meals can be detrimental. The re- ality is that plant-based diets re- quire considerable nutritional competence, determination and perseverance with diet and sup- plementation regimens to avoid both oral and systemic health con- sequences. with the permission of Dental Tribune International responsibility for the validity of product claims or for PUBLISHER: GmbH. Dental Tribune is a trademark of Dental Tri- typographical errors. The publisher also does not Dental Tribune UK bune International GmbH. assume responsibility for product names, claims or 167-169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF statements made by advertisers. Opinions expres- sed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune International GmbH. 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