Dental Panoramic Tomography or a variety of intra-oral radiographs can be used to monitor marginal bone levels and evaluate interproximal bone loss in particular, but most agree peri-apical radiographs show bone loss more comprehensively. Current radiographs can be compared to previous radiographs and the distance from a fixed point, such as the implant shoulder, used to measure the bone loss in mm over time. If an implant is mobile, this is indicative of a deficiency in osseointegration and at this point the implant should be removed. Therefore, this is not a valuable factor for early diagnosis of peri-implant mucositis. Alveolar bone loss following implant placement after first year in function should not exceed 2mm as generally between 0.5 – 2 mm of crestal bone height is lost during remodelling/healing process. As such changes ≥ 2mm during or after the first year should be considered as pathologic. Ie Peri-implant disease-induced. There are currently no biochemical diagnostic tests clinically available, as no sensitive diagnostic test has yet been found that can detect reversible changes before this is clinically visible and detectable. There are many salivary biomarkers and biomarkers in the crevicular fluid surrounding implants that are present in much higher levels when there is peri-implant mucositis or peri-implant disease but all these present after or at the same time as clinical signs and symptoms. Therefore, there is currently no benefit to assessing the peri-implant fluid or analysing the saliva.
Cervical effacement or cervical ripening refers to a thinning of the cervix. Background
Cervical effacement is a component of the Bishop score and can be expressed as a percentage.Prior to effacement, the cervix is like a long bottleneck, usually about four centimeters in length. Throughout pregnancy, the cervix is tightly closed and protected by a plug of mucus. When the cervix effaces, the mucus plug is loosened and passes out of the vagina. The mucus may be tinged with blood and the passage of the mucus plug is called bloody show (or simply "show"). As effacement takes place, the cervix then shortens, or effaces, pulling up into the uterus and becoming part of the lower uterine wall. Effacement may be measured in percentages, from zero percent (not effaced at all) to 100 percent, which indicates a paper-thin cervix. Results from a systematic review of the literature found no differences in cesarean delivery nor neonatal outcomes in women with low-risk pregnancies between inpatient or outpatient cervical ripening.Effacement is accompanied by cervical dilation. == References ==