[Le Fort I surgery, sagittal osteotomy and genioplasty and their impact on the temporomandibular joint]. / Les chirurgies Le Fort I, ostéotomie sagittale et génioplastie ainsi que leurs conséquences sur l'articulation temporo-mandibulaire.

Dentofacial deformities of the jaws, teeth and middle and lower thirds of the face affect both function and appearance. Epidemiological studies show that many Americans suffer from a malocclusion, which alters the proportions of the face. Moreover, in about 5 per cent of cases, the deformity is great enough to cause a severe handicap. A number of years ago, only orthodontic therapy was available, its aim being to achieve an acceptable occlusal relation while improving appearance as much as possible. However, this therapy provided limited improvement. Consequently, serious cases were later treated surgically. Since the 1970s, new surgical techniques have made it possible to reposition the jaws or dentoalveolar segments. As a result, today many more cases are treated in collaboration with orthodontists and surgeons. This article summarizes the main orthognathic surgical techniques, their procedures and their effects on temporomandibular disorders.

[Alveolitis--current opinion]. / L'alvéolite, qu'en est-il aujourd'hui?

Following the removal of mandibular teeth, especially third molars nowadays, a post-operative complication may occur, namely alveolitis. This article reviews the pertinent literature concerning this condition and discusses its etiology, symptoms and treatment.

[Impacted bicuspids--surgical and orthodontic treatment: the Laval experience]. / Les canines incluses--traitement chirurgico-orthodontique: l'expérience de Laval.

It happens that maxillary cuspids do not follow their normal path of eruption and remain impacted. We have reviewed the files of patients presenting with this anomaly and determined which surgical and orthodontic treatments they have received, with the help of a removable appliance.

Osteomyelitis of the jaws.

Osteomyelitis is described as an inflammation of bone and bone marrow that may develop in the jaws following a chronic odontogenic infection or for a variety of other reasons. This situation may be acute, sub-acute or chronic, resulting in a totally different clinical picture.

[Cleidocranial dysplasia: review of the literature and presentation of a case]. / La dysplasie cléidocrânienne: mise à jour et présentation d'un cas.

Cleidocranial Dysplasia, although not frequent, can present to the dentist. In this article, we have reviewed the literature concerning this disease and we present a patient with this condition. An overview of the disease would reveal partial to complete absence of clavicles, delayed closing of cranial fontanels, prolonged retention of deciduous teeth, subsequent delay in eruption of permanent teeth and multiple impactions.

[Lasers in dentistry and in oral and maxillofacial surgery]. / Le laser en médecine dentaire et en chirurgie buccale et maxillofaciale.

During the last few years, lasers have begun to appear in dentistry. There are, however, different types of lasers and different therapeutic indications in almost every field of dentistry. This is a review of the current literature on the applications of lasers in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

[The self-aspirating syringe in local anesthesia]. / La seringue auto-aspirante en anesthésie locale.

Dentists routinely inject local anesthetic solutions in their daily practice. However, it is important not to inject intravascularly. Consequently, manufacturers offer two types of dental syringes: one with a mechanical aspirating device (harpoon) and the other with a self-aspirating mechanism. We have verified the efficacy of a self-aspirating syringe as presented on the market and another self-aspirating syringe which we lightly modified.

Contraindications to vasoconstrictors in dentistry: Part I. Cardiovascular diseases.

This article reviews the main contraindications of vasoconstrictors in cardiac patients, notably unstable angina, recent myocardial infarction, recent coronary artery bypass surgery, refractory arrhythmias, untreated or uncontrolled hypertension, and untreated or uncontrolled congestive heart failure. Extensive survey of the literature has been completed, giving specific guidelines for a rational use of vasoconstrictors in this category of medically compromised patients.

Contraindications to vasoconstrictors in dentistry: Part II. Hyperthyroidism, diabetes, sulfite sensitivity, cortico-dependent asthma, and pheochromocytoma.

Dentists are aware of contraindications to the use of vasoconstrictors in patients with cardiovascular diseases. However, there are some other noncardiac conditions we should know. This article discusses the absolute contraindications to the use of vasoconstrictors in patients with a history of hyperthyroidism, diabetes, allergy to sulfites, asthma, and pheochromocytoma.

Contraindications to vasoconstrictors in dentistry: Part III. Pharmacologic interactions.

This article discusses the relative contraindications to the use of vasoconstrictor in patients currently medicated with tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, phenothiazines and beta-blockers. It reviews drug interactions and emphasizes potential detrimental systemic effects that epinephrine contained in local anesthetics can have when administered concomitantly with these drugs. Finally, special considerations are expressed concerning patients who abuse illicit drugs such as cocaine.

Sulfite, asthma and vasoconstrictors.

The use of vasoconstrictors in dentistry has always been a topic of controversy for the medically compromised patient. Over the past few years, dentists have been warned not to use local anesthetics with vasoconstrictors in asthmatic patients. In this article, the authors question the rationale behind these recommendations and explain why the warning should be restricted to steroid-dependent asthmatic patients.

Orthodontic considerations in the treatment of maxillary impacted canines.

The purpose of this article is to describe and discuss a relatively unknown and underestimated technical approach to the orthodontic extrusion of impacted canine teeth. It constitutes a preliminary report of a researcher project conducted in our undergraduate clinics on patients treated for orthodontic extrusion of impacted teeth. Of these patients, twenty-seven had maxillary canine impaction, sixteen unilateral and eleven bilateral, for a total of thirty-eight teeth. Some surgical considerations and various fixation appliances for impactions are discussed, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of exerting an extrusive force by means of a Hawley type of removable appliance.