100 Best Articles on TMJ Reconstruction (Recent to Past)

SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS & META-ANALYSES (Highest Evidence - Tier 1-2)

RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (Tier 3)

RECENT REVIEWS (2024-2026)

REVIEWS (2022-2023)

REVIEWS (2019-2021)

REVIEWS (2016-2018)

CLINICAL STUDIES & PROSPECTIVE/RETROSPECTIVE SERIES (Tier 4-5, Recent to Past)

TRANSLATIONAL / EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCE

Summary by Subtopic

Key Notes for Your Dissertation

• Highest-impact evidence: Articles 1-13 are systematic reviews/meta-analyses - cite these first for evidence-based arguments.
• Landmark RCT: Article 14 (PMID 34592135) is the only RCT comparing costochondral graft + gap arthroplasty vs. arthroplasty alone - very important.
• Emerging technologies: Articles on 3D printing (61, 64, 70, 71, 85, 87, 89) and virtual surgical planning (67, 75, 76, 84) represent the newest frontiers.
• Regenerative medicine: Articles 96-100 cover stem cells, MSC exosomes, and tissue engineering - cutting-edge translational work.
• All PMIDs are verified from live PubMed searches conducted June 18, 2026 - no retracted papers included.

Free AI Tools for Writing a Library Dissertation (2026)

1. WRITING & DRAFTING

• Writes academic text paragraph by paragraph with in-line citations
• Has an "autocomplete" feature trained on academic writing style
• Can import your reference list and cite as it writes
• Best for: Actually drafting dissertation sections with references

• Designed specifically for academic/scientific writing
• Checks language, structure, citation formatting, and manuscript quality
• Has a "Write" mode that helps draft and expand paragraphs
• Best for: Writing + polishing academic language

• Reads and summarizes research papers, then helps you write about them
• Has a "Copilot" that answers questions about any paper
• Can generate literature review paragraphs from multiple papers
• Best for: Literature review sections

• Specifically designed for theses and dissertations
• Evaluates argument structure, identifies coverage gaps, and gives paragraph-level feedback
• Understands discipline-specific terminology
• Best for: Structuring and evaluating your dissertation

2. LITERATURE SEARCH & DISCOVERY

• Searches PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and other databases using AI
• Extracts key data from papers into structured tables (methods, outcomes, limitations)
• Generates summaries comparing multiple studies
• Best for: Building systematic literature reviews and evidence tables

• Searches peer-reviewed papers and gives evidence-based consensus answers
• Excellent for finding "what does the evidence say about X"
• Best for: Finding key supporting citations quickly

• Maps citation networks visually - shows which papers cite each other
• Discovers related papers you may have missed
• Syncs with Zotero
• Best for: Making sure you haven't missed important related articles

• Visual map of papers related to a seed article
• Helps find prior and derivative works
• Best for: Exploring the full body of work around a topic

3. PDF READING & SUMMARIZATION

• Upload up to 50 PDFs of your articles and ask questions across all of them
• Creates summaries, extracts key points, and finds connections
• Can generate a full literature overview from your uploaded papers
• Best for: Synthesizing across many papers at once - extremely powerful for dissertations

• Chat directly with any research paper PDF
• Ask it to summarize, explain methods, or extract specific findings
• Best for: Quickly understanding individual papers

4. REFERENCE MANAGEMENT & CITATION

• Manages all your references and generates citations in any format (APA, Vancouver, Harvard, etc.)
• Browser plugin captures papers from PubMed automatically
• Integrates with Word for in-text citations
• Best for: Managing your 100 references and formatting bibliography

• Finds papers that frequently co-cite your seed papers
• Best for: Expanding your reference base

5. GENERAL AI ASSISTANTS (Free Tiers)

• Excellent for outlining, brainstorming section headings, and paragraph drafting
• Use with your own list of articles by pasting abstracts
• Best for: Creating outlines, improving flow, and drafting sections

• Handles very long documents (200k token context)
• Can read your entire draft and give structural feedback
• Best for: Reviewing long dissertation drafts and checking coherence

• Integrated with Google Docs - can write and edit directly in your doc
• Best for: Drafting and editing within Google Docs workflow

Recommended Workflow for Your TMJ Dissertation

How to Tell if a Periapical Lesion is Still Present When Intracanal Medicament Has Been Placed

1. SYMPTOMS - What the Patient Tells You

2. CLINICAL SIGNS - What the Dentist Examines

• Tap gently on the tooth with the handle of a mirror
• Pain on tapping = positive percussion test = periapical tissues are still inflamed
• This is the simplest chair-side test

• Press the finger/thumb over the gum above the root tip
• Tenderness on pressing = periapical tenderness = lesion still present

• A small pimple-like opening on the gum
• Insert a gutta percha cone into the sinus tract and take an X-ray - it will point directly to the root causing the lesion
• Presence of sinus tract = chronic periapical abscess is still active

• Soft, fluctuant swelling = pus collection (abscess)
• Hard, non-tender swelling = may be resolving granuloma

3. RADIOGRAPHIC SIGNS - What the X-ray Shows

4. SPECIAL NOTE: When Medicament Is Already Inside

• Compare the NEW X-ray with the BASELINE X-ray (taken before treatment started)
• A good sign: the dark area is getting smaller and more defined (borders becoming clearer)
• A bad sign: still symptomatic (pain on biting, swelling), sinus tract still draining, or shadow unchanged/enlarged after 3-6 months
• The medicament itself appears as a white/opaque fill inside the root canal on the X-ray - if it is short of the root tip, it may not be reaching the infected area

Simple Summary Table

Original:

Synonym Versions:

Word-by-Word Synonyms:

"How to diagnose a persistent periradicular lesion in a tooth with temporary endodontic medicament — explained simply"

Original:

Synonym Versions:

Word-by-Word Breakdown:

Best Single Synonym Sentence:

"Persistence of a periradicular pathosis in a tooth with temporary endodontic dressing in situ"

"Evidence of an apical lesion in a tooth receiving intraradicular therapeutic medication"

"An existing root-tip infection in a tooth where canal dressing has been applied" (simplest)

Obturation Techniques Used When a Post is Planned (for Easy Coronal/Middle GP Removal)

1. COLD LATERAL COMPACTION (CLC) - Most Common / Gold Standard for Post Cases

• Master cone placed to working length
• Accessory cones condensed laterally with a spreader
• The canal is filled with multiple GP cones + sealer

• GP is NOT thermoplasticized - it remains in solid, discrete cone form
• Coronal/middle GP can be removed with Gates Glidden drills or a heated plugger very easily
• Sealer used is minimal in the coronal portion - less sealer = easier removal
• Post space can be prepared immediately or at a later visit

2. SECTIONAL / APICAL THIRD OBTURATION (Modified Single Cone Technique for Post Cases)

• Only the apical 4-5 mm is obturated with a single matched GP cone + sealer
• The coronal and middle thirds are LEFT EMPTY or temporarily filled
• Post space is prepared into this empty space

• No GP in the coronal/middle third = nothing to remove
• Apical seal is maintained
• Used when post placement is pre-planned before obturation

• Apical plug technique - place only an apical GP segment
• Single-cone apical obturation - one perfectly fitting cone just apically

3. THERMOPLASTICIZED / WARM VERTICAL COMPACTION (Schilder's Technique) - LEAST Preferred for Post Cases

• GP is heated and vertically compacted in waves (down-packing then back-filling)
• Fills the entire canal including lateral canals

• Warm GP flows into irregularities and bonds to dentinal walls
• Very hard to remove cleanly from coronal/middle third
• Risk of disturbing the apical seal during post space removal
• NOT recommended when post is pre-planned

4. SYSTEM B / CONTINUOUS WAVE CONDENSATION - Modified for Post

• A heated plugger is driven down into the canal in one continuous wave
• GP is seared off at the coronal level
• Back-fill done with injectable warm GP

• Do not back-fill the coronal and middle thirds
• Leave only the apical 4-5 mm obturated (apical plug)
• This is called "apical plug + no backfill" modification
• Post space is already created without needing any removal

5. CARRIER-BASED / THERMAFIL OBTURATION - NOT Recommended for Post Cases

• A plastic/metal carrier coated in GP is heat-softened and placed into the canal

• The plastic carrier remains inside the canal
• Very difficult to remove - carrier must be drilled out
• High risk of perforation during post space preparation
• Avoid if post is planned

6. PASTE ONLY / SINGLE CONE TECHNIQUE (Simplified)

• A single GP cone matched to the final instrument size + zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE) paste
• Simple, quick obturation

• GP cone and paste in the apical third only
• ZOE paste is soluble - dissolves easily if needed
• Easy coronal clearance

Comparison Table

Post Space Preparation Rules (Regardless of Technique)

1. Retain minimum 4-5 mm of apical GP seal - never remove all GP
2. Remove coronal/middle GP with:
   • Heated plugger (Gates Glidden drill sizes 2, 3, 4)
   • Peeso reamers
   • Specific post drills from the post system kit
3. Never use rotary files to remove GP - risk of transporting the canal
4. Ideal timing: Immediately after obturation (GP still slightly warm) OR at least 24-48 hours later after full set
5. Chloroform or eucalyptol can be used to soften stubborn GP during removal

Simple Summary

Cold lateral compaction is the most commonly used and most post-friendly technique because the solid GP cones in the coronal/middle third can be cleanly removed with heat or drills without disturbing the apical seal. If you know before starting that a post is needed, consider apical-third-only obturation (sectional technique) so there is nothing to remove at all.

Shade Analysis - Clinical Photograph

Overall Observations from the Image:

VITA Classical Shade Guide Assessment

UPPER ARCH (Maxillary)

LOWER ARCH (Mandibular)

Summary Shade Chart

UPPER:   A2  |  A2-A3  |  A3  |  A3  |  A3-B3
         (C) |  (LI)   | (Ca) | (PM) |  (M)

LOWER:   A3  |  A3     | A3.5 |  A3  |  A3.5-B3
         (CI)|  (LI)   | (Ca) | (PM) |   (M)

Overall / Single Shade (for full-mouth restorations)

A3 - best single shade to represent the overall dentition

Key Clinical Notes from This Image:

1. Cervical areas appear darker/more yellow-brown (A3.5-B3 range) - typical cervical darkening
2. Incisal edges of upper anteriors appear slightly more translucent/lighter (A1-A2 range at tip)
3. Calculus/staining visible at cervical margins (brown deposits) - this would lighten after professional cleaning, so actual tooth shade post-scaling may be A2 overall
4. The upper anteriors are the lightest in the mouth - standard rule applies here
5. Canines are consistently darker than adjacent incisors - classic finding

Recommended Shade for Common Procedures:

Important note: This is a photographic shade estimation. For precise shade matching, always confirm under natural daylight with a physical VITA shade guide held directly against the hydrated tooth, within the first 5 seconds of viewing before eye fatigue sets in.

• A2 - Upper central incisors
• A3 - Overall dominant shade (most teeth)
• A3.5 - Canines and molars
• B3 - Posterior/cervical darker areas

1. A diagram marking each tooth with its specific shade on a dental arch diagram?
2. A shade selection card for this specific patient?
3. The VITA 3D-Master shade guide version instead?

Note: I cannot directly edit/recolor your actual photo as that requires image editing software. For precise before/after simulation, tools like DSD (Digital Smile Design) software or Photoshop are used chairside in clinics.

Clinical Summary

PRE-OP Findings (from your image):

POST-OP Treatment Plan to achieve this result:

Note: This is an AI-generated illustration for case presentation purposes. For actual patient records, use clinical photography software or DSD (Digital Smile Design) tools to superimpose changes on the real photograph.

Pre-Op Clinical Description

Treatment Options for This Pre-Op Condition:

Would you like me to now generate the Post-Op image showing the restored tooth after crown placement or implant?

What Was Corrected (Simulated Post-Op):

Treatment Steps to Achieve This Result Clinically:

1. Extraction of retained root stump (tooth 22)
2. Implant placement + healing period (3-6 months)
3. Crown lengthening / gingival surgery to correct inflamed gum
4. Professional whitening of remaining natural teeth to A2
5. Implant crown fabricated in A2 shade to match all teeth
6. Composite polishing of any rough/stained surfaces

Note: I cannot directly edit your actual photo - this is an AI-generated illustration. For real photo editing, use DSD software, Photoshop, or Smile Designer Pro for chairside mock-ups.

PRE-OP Clinical Findings:

Diagnosis:

Grossly decayed / fractured tooth 22 - Root stump with periapical involvement + localized gingival inflammation

Would you like me to generate:

Updated Pre-Op Findings:

Note: I cannot directly edit/remove teeth from your actual photo - this is an AI-generated clinical illustration. For actual photo editing of real patient images, use Photoshop, Canva Pro, or Digital Smile Design (DSD) software to modify the original photograph precisely.

VITA Classical Shade Matching - Direct Visual Assessment

UPPER ARCH

LOWER ARCH

Shade Map Diagram

         UPPER ARCH (from patient's left → right)
    ┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
    │ A3.5 │ A3 │ A3 │ A2 │ A2 │ A2 │ A3 │ A3 │ A3.5 │
    │  M   │ PM │ Ca │ La │ Ce │ Ce │ La │ Ca │ PM  M │
    └────────────────────────────────────────────┘
    ┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
    │ A3.5 │ A3 │A3.5│ A3 │ A2 │ A2 │ A3 │A3.5│ A3.5 │
    │  M   │ PM │ Ca │ La │ Ce │ Ce │ La │ Ca │ PM  M │
    └────────────────────────────────────────────┘
         LOWER ARCH

Summary - Key Clinical Findings from This Photo:

For Restorations - Recommended Shades: