Advertisement for any dental treatment was rare in Switzerland. Then the use of digital media became popular, particularly in the field of implant- and esthetic-dentistry. In parallel to the dental schools of public universities, private universities and companies built up centers for continuing education that issue specialists diplomas and M.Sc. degrees.Prosthodontics itself is characterized by many sub-disciplines that incorporated their own associations. These also offer graduate training curricula which diminish the significance of specialization in prosthodontics.Specialized prosthodontists do not have a financial benefit in Switzerland where dentistry is not supported by any insurance. In other European countries funding of prosthodontic treatment depends on their healthcare systems.There are four specialties in Dentistry recognized by the European Union (EU). Specialization in prosthodontics was introduced in Sweden already in 1982 and today it is declared in about 20 European countries, while for others no recognized program exists. Thus there are great variations with more recognized specialists in former east European countries. In Switzerland the prosthodontic specialization curriculum was developed and guided by the Swiss Society for Reconstructive Dentistry, and only in 2001 it became fully acknowledged by the Federal Department of Health. The four Swiss Universities offer the 3-year program under the supervision of the society, while the government remains the executive body.In 2003 EPA tried to set up guidelines and quality standards for an EPA recognized specialization. In spite of these attempts and the Bologna Reform in Europe, it appears that the quality standards and the level of education still may differ significantly among European countries.

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This article will consider prosthodontic specialty training in the United States.The history of prosthodontics as a specialty and the requirements necessary to be considered a prosthodontist will be explored. Today, a three-year postgraduate program is necessary to be considered an educationally qualified prosthodontist. Currently, there are 46 accredited advanced specialty education programs in the United States and approximately 3200 prosthodontists. The standards and training required for completion of these programs will be considered.

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A board certification system for prosthodontic specialists was established in 2005 by the Japan Prosthodontic Society (JPS), significantly later than the system established by the American Board of Prosthodontics in 1947. The purpose of this study is to outline the certification system for prosthodontic specialists in Japan and discuss and evaluate its current status. In 2012, the number of board certified prosthodontic specialists was 1150 and that of mentorial specialists was 693. The number of board certified institutions was 78 and that of certified adjunct institutions was 23. Although the history of the certification system is not very long, we conclude that a well-organized system has been developed. In addition, prosthodontic departments of dental schools also play an important role in the certification system for prosthodontic specialists.

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A person with a basic bachelors degree, BDS, from a college/university recognized by the Dental Council of India (DCI) becomes eligible for a Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) in prosthodontics at a college/university recognized by DCI. For this three (3) years Programme of Master of Dental Surgery course with a dissertation, the student/resident has to go through a syllabus as set by the university and approved by the DCI. The continued official approval/certification thereafter is not present in India but all dentists have to get 20 Continued Education points every year for renewal of their DCI registration (though it's only on trial basis right now). Although prosthodontists are officially approved in India but still the common man does not recognize who a prosthodontist is because of lack of awareness. Most general dentists do their prosthetic work themselves, only a small number of them ask for a prosthodontist. Referral to another office is rare, usually the prosthodontist visits the GP's office for consultation and treatment. There is undoubtedly need of continuous certification/evaluation system of the prosthodontists and so is the need of making the masses aware of presence and role of such specialists in India. The Indian Prosthodontic Society is taking initiative to address this issue.

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Purpose: The execution of adjustments on ceramic restorations is sometimes necessary for either correction of occlusion and/or inadequate contours or esthetical improvements. Clinically, the surfaces undergo weariness through fine grinding diamond burs which remove the superficial glazing layer. Several materials for ceramic polishing have been used in an attempt to reach a satisfactory surface smoothness. The aim of this study was to perform a literature review on different polishing protocols of several dental ceramics.
Study selection: This is a literature review performed through scientific articles published between 2004 and 2012, indexed in MEDLINE, PubMed and Scielo databases. The study selected and analyzed a total of 20 relevant articles that evaluated different types of ceramics, polishing treatment and surface roughness.
Results: After an extensive literature review, this study observed: 1 – after the rupture of the glazing layer due to the adjustments of the restorations, the best choice for the polishing of the surface will depend on the type of ceramics used; 2 – glazing procedure provide excellent results regarding to the superficial smoothness; however, if reglazing is impossible, either abrasive rubber cups/points or sandpaper discs followed by the use of diamond polishing pastes results in a satisfactory superficial smoothness; 3 – clinical studies that take into account the behavior of the protocols polishing are scarce and should be encouraged; 4 – the large number of variables influence the final outcome of polishing should be considered.
Conclusions: The necessity in standardization of methodologies to enable a comparison among researches.

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the optimal heating conditions for sheet forming using a circle tray by comparing the thickness and fit of mouthguards formed under different conditions.
Methods: Mouthguards were fabricated using ethylene vinyl acetate sheets (4.0 mm thick) and a vacuum forming machine. The working model was trimmed to a height of 20 mm at the incisor and 15 mm at the first molar. Two forming conditions were compared: square sheets were pinched by the clamping frame attached to the forming machine; and round sheets were pinched at the top and bottom and stabilized by a circle tray. Each condition was defined when the sheet sagged by 10-mm or 15-mm below the level of the clamp. The thickness of the sheet was determined for the incisal and molar portion. Additionally, the difference in fit according to the forming conditions was measured by examining the cross section. Differences in the thickness or the fit due to forming conditions were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni's multiple comparison tests.
Results: The thickness after formation was thicker at the 10-mm condition than that of 15-mm, and the fit at the 15-mm condition was better when that of 10-mm with square and round sheets.
Conclusion: Within the limitation of this study, it was suggested that when forming a mouthguard using a 4.0-mm EVA sheet and a circle tray on a vacuum forming machine, the sheet should be formed at a sagging distance of 10-mm.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare pre- and postoperative autonomic activities and changes in salivary stress biomarkers between patients who received only local anesthesia and those who received local anesthesia together with intravenous sedation in dental implant surgery.
Methods: A total of 21 patients were enrolled in this non-randomized controlled prospective study; 7 subjects underwent implant surgery under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation and 14 subjects underwent surgery under only local anesthesia. Stress was evaluated by measuring salivary levels of chromogranin A (CgA) and a spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) at baseline (on a day other than the day of surgery), 1 h preoperatively, and 1 h postoperatively. HRV analysis yields low- (LF) and high-frequency (HF) components, the LF/HF ratio, and the component coefficient of variance (CCV[HF]), which provide indices of sympathetic and parasympathetic regulatory activity.
Results: CgA levels were significantly higher (p < 0.05) at baseline in patients who received sedation than those who did not, but CgA levels did not differ prior to surgery. Also, the values of most parameters, including LF, HF, LF/HF (L/H), and CCV(HF), did not significantly differ between groups or among the three time points. Only ﾎ猫/H and ﾎ任CV(HF) were significantly lower (p < 0.05) at 1 h preoperatively in patients who received sedation than those who received only local anesthesia.
Conclusions: CgA levels were high in both groups immediately before surgery, and thus CgA values immediately before surgery may not be a reliable indicator of the need for intravenous sedation. Also, spectral analysis of HRV, especially ﾎ猫/H and ﾎ任CV(HF), could be useful for assessing tension and anxiety.

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Patient: This report describes the case of a 51-year-old male patient who initially presented at age 23 with a habitual intermittent open lock (at >35 mm) in the left temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The patient was able to manage this affliction through rapid-repetition jaw opening and closing. Tomography of the joint showed no irregular morphology, but intraoral examination revealed an occlusal interference at the mandibular left third molar during leftwards excursion. For this patient, alteration of lateral guidance using a palatal plate attached to the maxillary left canine precluded this intermittent open lock, but at 22 years of age, the open lock recurred and could not be relieved by the patient, who was unable to assume an occlusal position. Because conservative treatment was ineffective, a pumping manipulation technique was applied to reduce the open lock, after which the patient has maintained good jaw function. MRI taken before and after repositioning indicated that abrupt reduction of a displaced articular disk was the cause of the open lock, and that this articular disk was restored to its proper position during the manipulation.
Discussion: Most TMJ open locks occur as anterior dislocation, where the mandibular head becomes trapped anterior to the articular eminences, causing excessive opening and difficulty closing. Our clinical findings from this patient indicate that open lock can occur through abrupt reduction of a displaced articular disk, particularly in patients with chronic internal derangement of the TMJ.
Conclusion: TMJ open lock can occur following abrupt reduction of a displaced articular disk.

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