Orthodontic Elastics: A Multivariable Analysis of YouTubeTM Videos.

Background/Purpose: Whether YouTube videos contain precise and adequate information on certain orthodontic procedures remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the content and quality of YouTube videos on orthodontic elastics and identify the predictors of high-level content YouTube videos. Materials and Methods: Two hundred YouTube videos were screened for eligibility, and after applying the inclusion criteria, 133 videos were excluded. Student's t-test was used to compare the characteristics, quality parameters, and total content of the low-level and high-level content videos. Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests were implemented to identify the source and content element differences across low-level and high-level content videos. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between the total content score, video information and quality index (VIQI), and YouTube characteristics. Stepwise linear multiple regressions with forward selection were used to test the association of the YouTube characteristics and VIQI with the total content score. Results: Among 67 included videos, only 19.4% of videos were classified as high-level content videos. High-level content videos had significantly higher mean number of likes (MD = 4041.7; SD = 4680.7; P-value=0.0068), VIQI score (MD = 4.17; SD = 4.87; P-value=0.0073), and total content score (MD = 4.04; SD = 1.23; P-value=<0.0001). The adjusted linear regression model demonstrated a significant association between the total content score and VIQI, where 1 unit increase in the VIQI was significantly associated with a 0.16 increase in the total content score (B = 0.16; standard error [SE]=0.04; P = 0.0003). Further, a significant association was observed between the total content score and video duration, where 1 minute increase in the video duration was significantly associated with a 0.15 increase in the total content score (B = 0.15; SE = 0.05; P = 0.008). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that YouTube content quality concerning orthodontic elastics is poor. Thus, future implementation of online visual content provided by certified orthodontists will ensure accurate and thorough information delivery.

Effect of Occlusal Splint Therapy on Condylar Movements Recorded Using an Electronic Pantograph: A Prospective Clinical Study.

Aims and Objective: The effect of occlusal splint therapy on the muscle activity has been addressed in the literature. However, its effect on condylar movements in subjects with normal and abnormal occlusions has not yet been investigated. This prospective clinical study addressed the effect of occlusal splint therapy on condylar movements in subjects with normal and abnormal occlusions using an electronic pantograph. Materials and Methods: Two groups of subjects were included in this study. The first group included subjects with normal occlusion, whereas the subjects in the other group were diagnosed with abnormal occlusion. The occlusal splint was fabricated, adjusted clinically, and delivered for each subject. Condylar movements were recorded using a Cadiax Compact II electronic pantograph at baseline, 2-, 4-, and 6-month follow-up periods to assess sagittal condylar inclination (SCI), immediate mandibular lateral translation (IMLT), and progressive mandibular lateral translation (PMLT). The t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and two-way ANOVA were used to compare the parameters between the groups and to assess the time effect on these parameters (α = 0.05). Results: Twenty subjects were recruited for this study (n = 10). Among them, 12 were women and eight were men, with a mean age of 34 years. In each group, insignificant differences were reported for each tested parameter at baseline and during the follow-up periods (P > 0.05). However, when comparing the two groups, the only significant difference was found in the SCI during the 6-month follow-up period (P = 0.014). Conclusions: Occlusal splints had an insignificant effect on the parameters SCI, IMLT, and PMLT up to 6 months of follow-up for subjects with normal or abnormal occlusion. SCI increased substantially in normal occlusion subjects compared with abnormal occlusion subjects during the 6-month follow-up period.

Pain perception among patients treated with passive self-ligating fixed appliances and Invisalign® aligners during the first week of orthodontic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to compare the perception of pain between patients treated with passive self-ligating fixed appliances and those treated with Invisalign aligners. METHODS: This prospective study conducted in Saudi Arabia used an estimated sample of 64 patients from a private dental clinic. After obtaining written informed consent, the patients were divided into two groups; one group (n = 32) was treated using passive self-ligating fixed appliances and the other group (n = 32) using Invisalign® aligners. Immediately after fitting the appliances, the patients' perception of pain was evaluated through a close-ended and coded self-administrated questionnaire by using a visual analog scale (VAS). Their responses were recorded at 4 hours, 24 hours, day 3, and day 7. Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Pearson's chi-square test were performed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A lower percentage of patients treated with Invisalign aligners reported pain than did patients treated with passive self-ligating fixed appliances, and these differences were statistically significant (p = 0.001). Similarly, the mean VAS score for the Invisalign group was significantly lower than that for the passive self-ligating fixed appliance group at different intervals during the first week of treatment. The intensity of pain with both appliances peaked at 24 hours (mean VAS score, 3.87) and was lowest (mean VAS score, 1.62) on day 7. CONCLUSIONS: During the first week of orthodontic treatment, patients treated with Invisalign aligners reported lower pain than did those treated with passive self-ligating fixed appliances.

Extraction of primary canines for interceptive orthodontic treatment of palatally displaced permanent canines: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the successful management of palatally displaced permanent canines (PDCs) can be achieved by the interceptive extraction of primary maxillary canines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Digital databases (Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane) were searched to retrieve articles published from 1952 to April 2016. The university librarian developed search strategies for each database. Two calibrated reviewers independently reviewed potentially related titles and abstracts. Papers meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were read in full. The selected articles were evaluated and scored according to methodological quality criteria. RESULTS: Four randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included in the systematic review. Compared with two older studies, two more recent RCTs were found to have better study designs, were better conducted, and involved better reporting of the results. The included studies compared intervention groups (children with PDCs undergoing extraction of primary canines) with controls (subjects with PDCs but no primary canine extractions). In three of the four studies, the interceptive extraction of primary canines facilitated eruption of PDCs in more than 65% of cases. Overall, the intervention groups had a markedly higher incidence of successful eruption of PDCs (50%-69%) compared with the control groups (36%-42%). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the available evidence, it is reasonable to conclude that eruption of PDCs can be facilitated by extraction of primary canines. However, further high-quality, randomized clinical trials are warranted in other population groups. It is hoped that this study will help orthodontists make evidence-based decisions about clinically managing PDCs.

Alveolar bone density and its clinical implication in the placement of dental implants and orthodontic mini-implants.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the bone density in maxilla and mandible in dentate and edentulous patients in Saudi population. METHODS: This study involved a retrospective analysis of cone beam CT images of 100 patients (50 male and 50 female) who have come to College of Dentistry, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between January 2014 and 2015. Using the bone density option in the Simplant software, the Hounsfield unit (HU) was calculated at the edentulous sites. While for dentate sites, a region of interest was selected coronally at 3-5 mm to the root apex using I-CAT vision software. The densities of the buccal bone and cancellous bone were measured at interradicular areas of a specific teeth.  RESULTS: The highest bone density at the edentulous sites was at the mandibular anterior region (776.5 ± 65.7 HU), followed by the mandibular posterior region (502.2 ± 224.2 HU). Regarding the dentate sites, the highest bone density was at the buccal cortical plate of the lower incisor teeth (937.56 ± 176.92 HU) and the lowest bone density was at the cancellous bone around the posterior maxillary teeth (247.12 ± 46.75 HU).  CONCLUSION: The alveolar bone density at dentate and edentulous sites in our population is generally lower than the norm reference density of other populations, which dictates the need for quantitative assessment of bone density before implants and mini-implants placement.