Cross-sectional evaluation of periodontal inflammation and oral hygiene status between fixed appliances and Invisalign in patients affected by craniofacial anomalies.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to compare the difference in the oral health status and oral hygiene of orthodontic treatment with aligners (AL) and with fixed appliances (FA) in patients affected by craniofacial anomalies (CFA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 100 Caucasian patients affected by various CFA from two different hospitals. Fifty patients treated with AL were matched for sex, age and CFA with a control sample of 50 patients treated with FA. Patients' periodontal conditions were evaluated in both samples. O'Leary Plaque Control Record, bleeding on probing (BOP) and DMT/dmft Index were evaluated in both samples. RESULTS: The FA group presented an O'Leary Plaque Control Record of 60% ± 30, while AL presented an O'Leary Plaque Control Record of 40% ± 29.7 (p-value = 0.02), BOP was 22.1% ± 14 in FA and 12% ± 0.13 in AL (p-value = 0.03). The DMFT/dmft was not statistically different (p-value = 0.13). p-value was set at <0.039. CONCLUSION: The study shows that the sample with FA presented a higher O'Leary Plaque Control Record and BOP compared to the AL sample. AL might, therefore, be an interesting alternative to FA in patients with CFA, who generally have a lower level of oral hygiene.

Histological Evaluation and Management of Rare Case of Supernumerary "Ghost" Teeth.

Supernumerary teeth are teeth that exceed the normal dental formula. Their prevalence in the permanent dentition is 1-14% and they occur more frequently in maxilla with a sex ratio of 2 : 1 in favor of males. They are often associated with syndromes but there are examples of nonsyndromic multiple supernumerary teeth reported in the literature. CBCT is usually the best exam for radiographic diagnosis and treatment planning, because it provides 3D information about location and morphology of supernumerary teeth. This paper reports a rare case of four supernumerary teeth in a nonsyndromic 9-year-old boy. The peculiarity of this case is that two more exceeding teeth were found during surgical procedure. After extraction, all the teeth underwent a histological undecalcified processing for light microscopical examination. The two "ghost" supernumerary teeth seemed to be primordial dental germs, possibly resulting from an altered odontogenic process. After supernumerary teeth extraction, X-rays and exfoliation monitoring are recommended, since permanent retained teeth often erupt naturally or, at least, improve their condition. Radiographic follow-up is also useful in order to assess the formation of further teeth due to the hyperactivity of the dental lamina.