Biomechanical evaluation of the unilateral crossbite on the asymmetrical development of the craniofacial complex. A mechano-morphological approach.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The occlusion effect on the craniofacial development is a controversial topic that has attracted the interest of many researchers but that remains unclear, mainly due to the difficulties on measure its mechanical response experimentally. This mechano-morphological relationship of the craniofacial growth is often explained by the periosteal and capsular matrices of the functional matrix hypothesis (FMH); however, its outcomes have not been analytically demonstrated yet. This computational study aims, therefore, to analytically demonstrate the mechano-morphological relationship in the craniofacial development of children with unilateral crossbite (UXB) using the finite element (FE) method. METHODS: The craniofacial complex asymmetry of ten children, five of whom exhibit UXB, was 3D-analysed and compared with the biomechanical response computed from a FE analysis of each patient's occlusion. Due to the complexity of the geometry and the multitude of contacts involved, the inherent limitations of the model were evaluated by comparing computed occlusal patterns with those recorded by an occlusal analysis on 3D printed copies. RESULTS: Comparison's outcomes proved the reliability of our models with just a deviation error below 6% between both approaches. Out of validation process, computational results showed that the significant elongation of mandibular branch in the contralateral side could be related to the mandibular shift and increase of thickness on the crossed side, and particularly of the posterior region. These morphological changes could be associated with periodontal overpressure (>4.7 kPa) and mandibular over deformation (0.002 ε) in that side, in agreement with the periosteal matrix's principles. Furthermore, the maxilla's transversal narrowing and the elevation of the maxillary and zygomatic regions on the crossed side were statistically demonstrated and seem to be related with their respective micro displacements at occlusion, as accounted by their specific capsule matrices. Our results were consistent with those reported clinically and demonstrated analytically the mechano-morphological relationship of children's craniofacial development based on the FMH's functional matrices. CONCLUSIONS: This study is a first step in the understanding of the occlusion's effect on the craniofacial development by computational methods. Our approach could help future engineers, researchers and clinicians to understand better the aetiology of some dental malocclusions and functional disorders improve the diagnosis or even predict the craniofacial development.

Analysis of temporomandibular joint dysfunction in paediatric patients with unilateral crossbite using automatically generated finite element models.

The evaluation of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction using finite element models is a time consuming process that requires extensive technical knowledge. We combined a statistical active appearance model with automated modelling algorithms to biomechanically study the relationship between TMJ malformations and dysfunction in radiographs from 20 paediatric patients with unilateral crossbite. A fitting algorithm (fitting error < 4%) recognised the TMJ shape and adjusted the dimensions of each patient-specific 2D FE model, which was then used to compute 2 different joint movements. Significant functional differences were observed between the crossbite and non-cross bite sides, and the shape-function relation was verified.

Towards an early 3D-diagnosis of craniofacial asymmetry by computing the accurate midplane: A PCA-based method.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Craniofacial asymmetry is a common growth disorder often caused by unilateral chewing. Although an early orthodontic treatment would avoid surgical procedures later in life, the uncertainty of defining the accurate sagittal midplane potentially leads to misdiagnosis and therefore inaccurate orthodontic treatment plans. This novel study aims to 3D-diagnose craniofacial complex malformations in children with unilateral crossbite (UXB) considering a midplane which compensates the asymmetric morphology. METHODS: The sagittal midplane of 20 children, fifteen of whom exhibited UXB, was computed by a PCA-based method which compensates the asymmetry mirroring the 3D models obtained from cone-beam computed tomography data. Once determined, one side of the data was mirrored using the computed midplane to visualize the malformations on the hard and soft tissues by 3D-computing the distances between both halves. Additionally, 31 skull's landmarks were manually placed in each model to study the principal variation modes and the significant differences in the group of subjects with and without UXB through PCA and Mann-Whitney U test analyses respectively. RESULTS: Morphological 3D-analysis showed pronounced deformities and aesthetic implications for patients with severe asymmetry (jaw deviation > 0.8 mm) in whole craniofacial system, while initial signs of asymmetry were found indistinctly in the mandible or maxilla. We detected significant (p < 0.05) malformations for example in mandibular ramus length (0.0086), maxillary palate width (0.0481) and condylar head width (0.0408). Craniofacial malformations increased the landmarks' variability in the group of patients with UXB over the control group requiring 8 variation modes more to define 99% of the sample' variability. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated the viability of early diagnosis of craniofacial asymmetry through computing the accurate sagittal midplane which compensates the individual's asymmetrical morphology. Furthermore, this study provides important computational insights into the determination of craniofacial deformities which are caused by UXB, following some empirical findings of previous clinical studies. Hence, this computational approach can be useful for the development of new software in craniofacial surgery or for its use in biomedical research and clinical practice.

Evaluation of mandibular condyles in children with unilateral posterior crossbite.

The relationship of mandibular condyle dimensions and its association with unilateral posterior crossbite (UPXB) has been suggested in the literature. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate mandibular condyles on the left and right sides and between crossed and non-crossed sides in the sagittal and coronal planes, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Twenty CBCT images of 40 temporo mandibular joints (TMJs) in individuals in mixed dentition phase, which included 9 males (mean 7.9 years) and 11 females (mean 8.2 years), with unilateral posterior crossbite without premature contacts and functional mandibular shifts and with transverse maxillary deficiency. The criteria for sample exclusion included the presence of painful symptoms, facial trauma history, systemic diseases such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, mouth opening limitation (< 40 mm), congenital or genetic anomalies, and skeletal asymmetries that may result in TMJ disorders. Dimensional measurements of the condyles between the right and left sides and crossed and non-crossed sides in sagittal and coronal view were made. There was no significant difference between the measurements of the crossed and non-crossed sides in both sagittal and coronal view. These findings suggest that the presence of unilateral posterior crossbite in children with UPXB did not result in changes between the mandibular condyles in the right and left sides or between the crossed and non-crossed sides in the coronal or sagittal plane.

Avaliação em 3D da cabeça da mandíbula em crianças portadoras de mordida cruzada posterior unilateral por meio de tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico / 3D evaluation of the condyle in children with unilateral posterior cross bite using Cone Beam Computed Tomography

Durante o desenvolvimento da oclusão, a instalação de maloclusões podem resultar em desarmonias dento faciais de natureza e severidade diversas, podendo provocar alterações no desenvolvimento crânio facial, dentre as estruturas envolvidas as Articulações Temporo Mandibulares (ATM), podem sofrer alguma influência, dessa forma a avaliação desta região, no aspecto morfológico e funcional, constituí tema de interesse, sempre que levados em conta os aspectos funcionais da oclusão. A relação entre a forma e a função, tanto das cabeças da mandíbula, bem como o contorno da fossa mandibular com as maloclusões ainda é controversa e não está compreendida por completo, porém a literatura sobre o assunto, demonstra correlação entre a instalação de maloclusões e modificações neste sistema, mesmo que algumas alterações não sejam de ordem estatística e em amostras de indivíduos em tenra idade, as mesmas podem comprometer o desenvolvimento adequado em indivíduos adultos ou mesmo adultos jovens.

Tendo como propósito nesse estudo a avaliação das cabeças da mandíbula quanto ao volume e superficíe dos lados direito e esquerdo, cruzado e não cruzado, a amostra selecionada foi de 20 indivíduos com mordida cruzada posterior unilateral, com idades entre 06 e 09 anos de idade, utilizando imagens de tomografia computadorizada por feixe cônico, imagens obtidas por um equipamento modelo i- Cat, sendo utilizado na reformatação e manipulação das imagens o programa computacional - NemoCeph 3D® versão 11.5. Nas medições propostas para esse estudo, utilizou-se o teste t pareado de Student para amostras com distribuição normal. Na observação das tabelas e seus respectivos gráficos, podemos verificar que na comparação entre os lados direito e esquerdo, e cruzado e não cruzado das cabeças da mandíbula, com relação ao volume e superfície, existem diferenças numéricas entre elas, porém não pode ser observado diferenças estatísticas significantes, nessa amostra especifica com a metodologia empregada para esse estudo. Assim foi possível concluir que nas Mordidas Cruzadas Posteriores Unilaterais as cabeças da mandíbula tanto em seu volume como em sua superfície não apresentaram diferenças estatisticamente significantes na amostra estudada.

During the development of occlusion, malocclusions installation may result in disharmony dento facial nature and various severity, can cause changes in craniofacial development, among the structures involved in the temporomandibular joints mandibular (ATM), may suffer some influence, thus the evaluation of this region, the morphological and functional aspect, constitutes topic of interest, when taken into account the functional aspects of occlusion. The relationship between form and function, both the heads of the jaw, as well as the outline of the mandibular fossa with malocclusion remains controversial and is not fully understood, but the literature on the subject shows correlation between the installation of malocclusions and modifications to this system, even if some changes are not of statistical order and samples from individuals at an early age, they can compromise the proper development in adults and even young adults. With the intent of this study was to evaluate the heads of the jaw as the volume and surface of the right and left sides, crossed and uncrossed, the selected sample of 20 subjects with unilateral posterior cross bite, aged from 06 to 09 years old, using computed tomography cone beam, images obtained by a device model i-Cat, being used in reformatting and manipulation of images the computer program - NemoCeph 3D® version 11.5.

The proposals measurements for this study, we used the paired t-test of Student for samples with normal distribution. The observation of the tables and their graphs, we can see that the comparison between the right and left sides, and crossed and uncrossed the heads of the mandible in relation to the volume and surface, there are numerical differences between them, but can not be observed differences statistically significant, this sample specifies the methodology used for this study. Thus it was concluded that the Unilateral Posterior Crossbites the heads of the jaw in both its volume and its surface showed no statistically significant differences

Avaliação em 3D da cabeça da mandíbula em crianças portadoras de mordida cruzada posterior unilateral por meio de tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico / 3D evaluation of the condyle in children with unilateral posterior cross bite using Cone Beam Computed Tomography

Durante o desenvolvimento da oclusão, a instalação de maloclusões podem resultar em desarmonias dento faciais de natureza e severidade diversas, podendo provocar alterações no desenvolvimento crânio facial, dentre as estruturas envolvidas as Articulações Temporo Mandibulares (ATM), podem sofrer alguma influência, dessa forma a avaliação desta região, no aspecto morfológico e funcional, constituí tema de interesse, sempre que levados em conta os aspectos funcionais da oclusão. A relação entre a forma e a função, tanto das cabeças da mandíbula, bem como o contorno da fossa mandibular com as maloclusões ainda é controversa e não está compreendida por completo, porém a literatura sobre o assunto, demonstra correlação entre a instalação de maloclusões e modificações neste sistema, mesmo que algumas alterações não sejam de ordem estatística e em amostras de indivíduos em tenra idade, as mesmas podem comprometer o desenvolvimento adequado em indivíduos adultos ou mesmo adultos jovens...

During the development of occlusion, malocclusions installation may result in disharmony dento facial nature and various severity, can cause changes in craniofacial development, among the structures involved in the temporomandibular joints mandibular (ATM), may suffer some influence, thus the evaluation of this region, the morphological and functional aspect, constitutes topic of interest, when taken into account the functional aspects of occlusion. The relationship between form and function, both the heads of the jaw, as well as the outline of the mandibular fossa with malocclusion remains controversial and is not fully understood, but the literature on the subject shows correlation between the installation of malocclusions and modifications to this system, even if some changes are not of statistical order and samples from individuals at an early age, they can compromise the proper development in adults and even young adults. With the intent of this study was to evaluate the heads of the jaw as the volume and surface of the right and left sides, crossed and uncrossed, the selected sample of 20 subjects with unilateral posterior cross bite, aged from 06 to 09 years old, using computed tomography cone beam, images obtained by a device model i-Cat, being used in reformatting and manipulation of images the computer program - NemoCeph 3D® version 11.5...

Estudo da atual utilização da TCFC pelos Cirurgiões-Dentistas nas diversas especialidades / Study of current use of Cone-Beam CT by dental surgeons in the various specialties

Objetivo: Determinar, dentre os profissionais de Odontologia, o grau de formação e informação quanto ao uso da tomografia computadorizada tipo cone-beam, assim como quantificar e discriminar o uso desta ferramenta diagnóstica no cotidiano das especialidades. Materiais e métodos: Profissionais cursando algum tipo de especialização tiveram que responder a um questionário de respostas certo/errado, que continha parâmetros sobre as indicações do uso da tomografia computadorizada na Odontologia, assim como perguntas que permitiram o levantamento de informações acerca desta ferramenta diagnóstica no tocante a influência do custo do procedimento, necessidade de treinamento específico para interpretação e necessidade de investimento por parte do profissional clínico. Resultados: Pudemos observar que a indicação da técnica não está totalmente esclarecida para muitos Cirurgiões-Dentistas. A porcentagem de desconhecimento foi significativa (27%), por se tratar de radiação ionizante, que pode causar riscos estocásticos e deletérios. Pudemos observar em nossos resultados que existe um embasamento geral da técnica, pois à medida que especialistas de uma certa área acertaram questões correspondentes a outras especialidades, notamos a ocorrência de equívocos de conceitos quando eram questionados sobre o protocolo de uso em sua própria área de conhecimento. Conclusão: A divulgação dos dados obtidos será de grande valia para o clínico geral, bem como para os especialistas, no intuito de reduzir a dose de exposição desnecessária quando da indicação da técnica. A necessidade de aprimorar o conhecimento será sempre necessária, para que não tenhamos apenas o conhecimento geral, mas o específico para a área de atuação de cada um.

Objective: To determine, among dental professionals, the degree of training and information regarding the use of CBCT, as well as to quantify and discriminate the use of this diagnostic tool in specialties daily basis. Materials and methods: Professionals attending specialization courses had to answer a right/wrong answers questionnaire containing parameters of indications for the use of computed tomography in dentistry. Beyond that, they had to answer questions that allowed the collection of information about this diagnostic tool regarding the influence of the cost of the procedure, the need for specific training in the interpretation and need for investment by the clinical professional. Results: We observed that the technique is not entirely clear for many dentists. The percentage of unawareness was significant (27%) considering it is about an ionizing radiation, which can cause deleterious and stochastic risks. We observed in our results that there is a general grounding of the technique, because on the one hand experts of a determined area showed a certain knowledge of other specialties, on the other hand we verified there were misunderstandings of concepts when questioned about the protocol used in their own area of knowledge. Conclusion: The release of the data obtained will be of great value to the general practitioner as well as to specialists in order to reduce the amount of unnecessary exposure in the indication of the technique. Improve knowledge will always be necessary so we will not only have general knowledge, but the specific one to the area of each dentistry professional.

Evaluation of mandibular condyles in children with unilateral posterior crossbite

The relationship of mandibular condyle dimensions and its association with unilateral posterior crossbite (UPXB) has been suggested in the literature. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate mandibular condyles on the left and right sides and between crossed and non-crossed sides in the sagittal and coronal planes, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Twenty CBCT images of 40 temporo mandibular joints (TMJs) in individuals in mixed dentition phase, which included 9 males (mean 7.9 years) and 11 females (mean 8.2 years), with unilateral posterior crossbite without premature contacts and functional mandibular shifts and with transverse maxillary deficiency. The criteria for sample exclusion included the presence of painful symptoms, facial trauma history, systemic diseases such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, mouth opening limitation (< 40 mm), congenital or genetic anomalies, and skeletal asymmetries that may result in TMJ disorders. Dimensional measurements of the condyles between the right and left sides and crossed and non-crossed sides in sagittal and coronal view were made. There was no significant difference between the measurements of the crossed and non-crossed sides in both sagittal and coronal view. These findings suggest that the presence of unilateral posterior crossbite in children with UPXB did not result in changes between the mandibular condyles in the right and left sides or between the crossed and non-crossed sides in the coronal or sagittal plane.

Correção da mordida cruzada posterior funcional unilateral com o disjuntor de recobrimento oclusal de acrílico: relato de caso / Correction of unilateral function posterior crossbite with cover occlusal appliance: a case report

O propósito desse estudo é relatar um caso clínico cujo o diagnóstico e tratamento foram efetuados em idade bastante jovem. Foi utilizado o disjuntor com recobrimento oclusal de acrílico para a correção da mordida cruzada posterior unilateral funcional, associado ao parafuso de Hyrax. Ao exame clínico inicial do paciente foi constatada a mordida cruzada posterior unilateral funcional e sua necessidade de correção. Após o período de contenção pós-expansão e a remoção do aparelho proposto, pôde-se observar a correção da má oclusão e o restabelecimento do equilíbrio oclusal necessário para o desenvolvimento do crescimento normal das funções estomatognáticas.

Upper airway expansion after rapid maxillary expansion evaluated with cone beam computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a reliable method of assessing the oral cavity and upper airways. We conducted this study to examine the changes introduced by rapid maxillary expansion in the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, and oropharynx as seen with images obtained by CBCT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 15 patients with maxillary width deficiency treated with RME. Patients were subjected to CBCT at the beginning of RME and after the retention period of 4 months. RESULTS: The nasal cavity presented a significant transverse increase in the lower third, in the anterior (1.08 mm ± 0.15), medium (1.28 mm ± 0.15), and posterior regions (0.77 mm ± 0.12). No significant change occurred in the nasopharynx in volume (P  =  .11), median sagittal area (P  =  .33), or lower axial area (P  =  .29) resulting from the RME. A significant change was noted in the oropharynx in volume (P  =  .05), median sagittal area (P  =  .01), and lower axial area (P  =  .04) before and immediately after the RME. CONCLUSIONS: RME is able to increase the transverse width of the nasal cavity, but it does not have the same effect in the nasopharynx. Changes noted in the oropharynx may be due to the lack of a standardized position of the head and tongue at the time of image acquisition.