A Comparative Assessment of the Upper Pharyngeal Airway Dimensions among Different Anteroposterior Skeletal Patterns in 7-14-Year-Old Children: A Cephalometric Study.

BACKGROUND: The pharyngeal airway is a crucial part of the respiratory system's function. Assessing the pharyngeal airway dimensions in different skeletal types is important in the orthodontic treatment of growing patients. The aim of this study was to compare the upper pharyngeal airway dimensions of 7-14-year-old children with different skeletal types. METHODS: Three-hundred-sixty-one lateral cephalometric radiographs were grouped based on their skeletal patterns determined by the ANB angle as skeletal type I (n = 123), type II (n = 121), and type III (n = 117). The radiographs were divided into 4 groups: 7/8 YO (7-8 years old), 9/10 YO, 11/12 YO, and 13/14 YO. The cephalometric measurements comprised SNA, SNB, ANB, Ad1-PNS, Ad2-PNS, McUP, and McLP. An ANOVA was used to compare the group results. RESULTS: Significant differences in Ad1-PNS, Ad2-PNS, McUP, and McLP in skeletal types II and III were found between age groups. Most upper pharyngeal airway dimensions in skeletal types II and III children were significantly wider in the 13/14 YO group than in the other age groups. CONCLUSION: The upper pharyngeal airway dimensions increased age-dependently in 7-14-year-old children, especially in skeletal types II and III. The upper pharyngeal airway dimensions could serve as a guide in differentiating the different skeletal classes in clinical settings.

Orthodontic tooth movement and root resorption in ovariectomized rats treated by systemic administration of zoledronic acid.

INTRODUCTION: The effect of zoledronic acid, a potent and novel bisphosphonate, on tooth movement and orthodontically induced root resorption in osteoporotic animals systemically treated with zoledronic acid as similarly used in postmenopausal patients has not been elucidated. Therefore, this study was undertaken. METHODS: Fifteen 10-week-old female Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: ovariectomy, ovariectomy + zoledronic acid, and control. Only the ovariectomy and ovariectomy + zoledronic acid groups underwent ovariectomies. Two weeks after the ovariectomy, zoledronic acid was administered only to the ovariectomy + zoledronic acid group. Four weeks after the ovariectomy, 25-g nickel-titanium closed-coil springs were applied to observe tooth movement and orthodontically induced root resorption. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the amounts of tooth movement and orthodontically induced root resorption between the ovariectomy and the control groups, and also between the ovariectomy and the ovariectomy + zoledronic acid groups. There was no statistically significant difference in tooth movement and orthodontically induced root resorption between the ovariectomy + zoledronic acid and the control groups. Zoledronic acid inhibited significantly more tooth movement and significantly reduced the severity of orthodontically induced root resorption in the ovariectomized rats. The ovariectomy + zoledronic acid group showed almost the same results as did the control group in both tooth movement and orthodontically induced root resorption. CONCLUSIONS: Zoledronic acid inhibits excessive orthodontic tooth movement and also reduces the risk of severe orthodontically induced root resorption in ovariectomized rats.

Tooth movement and root resorption; the effect of ovariectomy on orthodontic force application in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the amount of tooth movement and orthodontically induced root resorption (OIRR) in ovariectomized rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five 10-week-old female Wistar rats undergoing ovariectomy (OVX) were investigated as the experimental group, and the other five without ovariectomy served as the control group. Four weeks after ovariectomy, 25-g nickel-titanium closed-coil springs were applied mesially to the maxillary left first molars. Micro-computed tomography was taken at day 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28. At day 28, the molars were extracted. The surface area of root resorption craters, depth, and volume were measured using electron and laser scanning microscopes. RESULTS: Tooth movement gradually increased with time throughout 28 days. There was a significant difference in the amount of tooth movement between the control group and the OVX group. For OIRR, the OVX group showed wide and shallow root resorption craters scattered on the mesial root. The deep resorption craters were observed on the distal roots distributed in the cervical, middle, and apical thirds of the roots. Statistically significant differences were found between the control and the OVX groups in the depth and the volume of root resorption craters in the distal roots and the total volume of root resorption craters in all three roots. CONCLUSION: Ovariectomy affected not only tooth movement but also OIRR. Tooth movement in the OVX group was more rapid than the control group. Furthermore, the amount of OIRR in the OVX group was more severe than the control group.

Periodontal status and orthodontic treatment need of autistic children.

AIM: To evaluate the periodontal status and orthodontic treatment need of autistic children and compare these findings to nonaffected, same-age individuals. METHOD: The periodontal status and orthodontic treatment need were evaluated in 32 autistic and 48 nonautistic boys and girls age 8 years to 12 years (mean 9.7 ± 1.2 years and 9.9 ± 1.1 years, respectively). The periodontal status of all subjects was recorded using the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Need (CPITN) with a slight modification. The orthodontic treatment need was determined using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). Chi-square test and odds ratio were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: No significant sex differences were found in the autistic or nonautistic groups. The autistic children presented with a significantly poorer periodontal status than the nonautistic children (P<.05). No significant differences in terms of the various malocclusion categories were found between both groups (P>.05); however, children with autism showed missing teeth, spacing, diastemas, reverse overjets, open bites, and Class II molar relationship tendencies in a higher percentage than nonautistic individuals. In all, autistic children and nonautistic children frequently needed orthodontic treatment. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that children with autism require special dental management to improve their oral hygiene as well as their dental esthetics. More care from parents, general dentists, and pedodontists/orthodontists should be provided routinely to autistic children.

Interleukin-1beta levels, pain intensity, and tooth movement using two different magnitudes of continuous orthodontic force.

This study aimed to determine the optimum orthodontic force from a broader perspective. Interleukin (IL)-1ß levels in human gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), pain intensity, and the amount of tooth movement were measured during canine retraction using different magnitudes of continuous orthodontic force. Sixteen subjects (two males and 14 females), aged 18-24 years, diagnosed with Class I bimaxillary protrusion and treated with first premolar extractions participated in this study. The upper canines were retracted with continuous forces of 50 or 150 g using nickel-titanium coil springs on segmented archwires. One of the lower canines was used as a control. GCF was collected from the distal site of each tooth at specific time points. IL-1ß concentrations, pain intensity, using the visual analogue scale (VAS), and the amount of tooth movement were evaluated. One-way analysis of variance, Friedman, and paired t-tests were used for comparisons of IL-1ß in GCF, the plaque and gingival indices, and the efficiency of tooth movement on pain perception, respectively. IL-1ß concentration in the 150 g group showed the highest level at 24 hours and 2 months with significant differences compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The mean VAS score of pain intensity from the 150 g force was significantly greater than from the 50 g force at 24 hours (P < 0.01). However, no significant difference in the amount of tooth movement was found between these two different magnitudes of continuous force at 2 months. A 50 g force could effectively induce tooth movement similar to 150 g with less pain and less inflammation.