The Ornaments of the Arma Veirana Early Mesolithic Infant Burial.

Personal ornaments are widely viewed as indicators of social identity and personhood. Ornaments are ubiquitous from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene, but they are most often found as isolated objects within archaeological assemblages without direct evidence on how they were displayed. This article presents a detailed record of the ornaments found in direct association with an Early Mesolithic buried female infant discovered in 2017 at the site of Arma Veirana (Liguria, Italy). It uses microscopic, 3D, and positional analyses of the ornaments as well as a preliminary perforation experiment to document how they were perforated, used, and what led to their deposit as part of the infant's grave goods. This study provides important information on the use of beads in the Early Mesolithic, in general, as well as the relationship between beads and young subadults, in particular. The results of the study suggest that the beads were worn by members of the infant's community for a considerable period before they were sewn onto a sling, possibly used to keep the infant close to the parents while allowing their mobility, as seen in some modern forager groups. The baby was then likely buried in this sling to avoid reusing the beads that had failed to protect her or simply to create a lasting connection between the deceased infant and her community. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10816-022-09573-7.

A prospective evaluation assessing the effectiveness of the 'Dynamax' mandibular appliance in the management of obstructive sleep apnoea.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) affects 4-6% of the middle-aged UK population and is responsible for significant partnership disharmony. Nasal CPAP therapy is effective but has poor compliance in less severe cases- bulky with poor portability and frequently deemed socially unacceptable. The 'Dynamax mandibular appliance (DMA) is a current treatment for Skeletal 11 malocclusion characterised by mandibular retrusion. It has the advantage of both maxillary expansion and mandibular advancement and is developed and tailored on an individual basis by orthodontic sculpture. These facilities are widely available in hospital-based orthodontic departments. For these reasons we have explored its use in the treatment of mild to moderate cases of OSAS. METHOD AND MATERIAL: 35 symptomatic patients (29 males) with mild to moderate OSAS, determined from sleep study analysis, had dental impressions taken and the 'Dynamax' appliance constructed. Following fitting and instructions for use, all patients were entered into the study. After two months, repeat overnight oximetry was undertaken for 16 patients and both an Epworth sleep score (ESS) and quality of life questionnaire completed. RESULTS: The mean age was 51 (range 29-71) years. The mean ESS pre-treatment was 12 (range 7-19) with a significant fall post-treatment by 7 (range 3-14) (p < 0.0001). Pre-treatment oximetry data confirmed typical tracings and patterns of OSAS with a mean low oxygen saturation (SaO2) of 83% (range 71-90%). Post-treatment oximetry was available in 16 patients and showed significant improvement in the number of hourly SaO2 desaturation dips and a mean increase of 4.7% in the lowest SaO2 recorded (p < 0.0001). Thirty (86%) patients found the appliance of 'great to moderate' benefit and 18 (60%) were able to tolerate it and be fully compliant within days. Of 10 patients who had previously experienced CPAP, 80% of them felt it was easier to tolerate the DA. Sixty-seven percent of these patients stated the appliance was more portable and acceptable to their bed partner. Twenty-one (70%) of bed partners reported softer and less frequent snoring. Ninety percent of the patients in this study wished to wear the DMA long-term. CONCLUSION: The DMA provides a satisfactory alternative therapy in the treatment of OSAS of'mild-moderate' severity. This oral device is conveniently small, readily portable and well tolerated by both patients and bed partners alike. It can be fashioned in orthodontic departments available in all district general hospitals and will enhance the provision and development of any local sleep service.

An investigation into the standard of orthodontic treatment carried out by GDPs after completion of a clinical assistant training.

A sample of 172 orthodontic patients treated by 10 general dental practitioners in their practices was assessed in terms of treatment need and standard of treatment provided. The practitioners had been clinical assistants, for a minimum of 2 years, at a District General Hospital before starting any of the cases. Prior to treatment 70% of the cases had a 'clear need' for treatment on dental health grounds and 73% of the cases had a 'moderate' or 'great need' for treatment on aesthetic grounds. Using the Peer Assessment Rating nomogram to assess the treatment standard, 83% of patients could be classed as 'improved' or 'greatly improved' with treatment but 17% were 'worse or no different'. The standard of treatment produced by fixed appliances was found to be superior to that produced by removable appliances alone. When removable appliances were used the best results were obtained when consultant advice was given. The results for the clinical assistant sample are compared with the results for the GDS sample published in 1993. Ways of further improving the treatment standards produced by the general dental practitioners are considered.

Audit of a multidisciplinary approach to the care of children with unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate.

Cleft lip and palate affects the child in many ways, particularly appearance, dental arch relationships, growth of the face, and speech development. The key to successful care is management in a multidisciplinary team adhering to a well-designed protocol, and careful audit of results. We present the intermediate outcome audit of 15 patients with complete bilateral and unilateral cleft lip and palate whose condition was managed in a multidisciplinary team according to a strict protocol. We give the results observations of operations of a single surgeon's functional primary surgery over a 6-year period in terms of dental arch relationships, cephalometric analyses, aesthetic assessments, and speech analysis. The results show good early facial growth, with dental arch relationships appropriate for the age and group; we found only minor speech discrepancies, with no patients requiring pharyngoplasty. The results show the importance of multidisciplinary management, the value of keeping to sound surgical protocols, and functional techniques in cleft lip and palate surgery. Our study includes the neglected group of children who have bilateral cleft lip and palate, and it conforms to the style of pan-European projects.

Current products and practices: personal digital assistants in orthodontics.

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have certain advantages over conventional diaries and are thought of as the 'electronic filofax'. They can be backed up, used for personal and professional organization, integrated with mobile phones for email and Internet access, image storage, logbook functions and audit. They are limited when used for desktop functions. This article attempts to highlight the current advantages and disadvantages of PDAs for use in orthodontics, and provides some guidance to those who are considering the purchase of such a device.

Children's perceptions of their own malocclusions.

Recognition by a parent or child of an occlusal abnormality is one of the many factors which may influence a desire for orthodontic treatment. Non-orthodontists may not estimate the severity of malocclusion reliably and may use different criteria from orthodontists for the process. The present study therefore sought to examine the reliability of parents' and children's perceptions of the children's own malocclusions with rating scales under two anchoring conditions and to test the discrepancy between their estimates and those of a panel of orthodontists. The children's and parents' assessments had limited test-retest reliability but instead of making guesses about the severity of their malocclusions they consistently gave low estimates. These effects were not influenced by the additional anchoring stimuli.

An evaluation of the views of general dental practitioners who have participated in an extended orthodontic training scheme.

A questionnaire was sent to 255 dental practitioners who had participated in an extended orthodontic training scheme, incorporating formal teaching and supervised clinical sessions over a period of not less than 24 months. The response of the practitioners was good; 78 per cent of the forms returned were suitable for analysis. Overall, the practitioners responded favourably to the schemes and felt that they had been of benefit to their clinical practice. The majority undertook more orthodontic treatment as a result and on average, fixed appliances were used in half of these treatments.

A safety adaptation to Interlandi headgear.

Extra-oral traction (E.O.T.) to a facebow is used with many types of removable, functional, and fixed orthodontic appliances. A versatile and popular method involves the elastic force being provided by an Interlandi headgear. The facebow, which is of necessity removable, can be displaced from its intra-oral attachments (whilst still connected to the headgear by the elastics) and may result in personal injury. This paper describes a suitable simply made device that can be incorporated to prevent facebow dislodgement, thereby improving safety.

Patterns of smoking, risk factors for smoking, and smoking cessation among Vietnamese men in Massachusetts (United States).

OBJECTIVES: To measure the prevalence and patterns of, and risk factors for, smoking and other tobacco use among Vietnamese men in Massachusetts (United States). METHODS: Data were obtained via a telephone interview of 774 Vietnamese men in 1994. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey administered via telephone in 1994. SETTING: Massachusetts, United States. SUBJECTS: Randomly selected Vietnamese men (n = 774). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Present and past use of tobacco products, knowledge and attitudes regarding tobacco, and risk factors for tobacco use. Results were compared with data from the Massachusetts general population. RESULTS: Vietnamese men smoked at a rate 1.9 times that of the Massachusetts general men's rate (43% vs 24%). The smoking rate did not decrease with increasing length of residence in the United States. In a logistic regression, risk factors for current smoking were: age in the thirties; history of parental smoking; lower educational level; higher depression score; low level of exercise; lack of health insurance; and geographical origin from the south coast of Vietnam. Smoking cessation declined with increasing depression score. Most smokers (76%) had no plans to quit smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Vietnamese men smoke at much higher rates than the general population, and are much less likely to be planning cessation. High rates of depression and sociocultural barriers to smoking cessation must be addressed in efforts to reduce tobacco use among this high-risk population.