Evaluation of maxillary canine root and maxillary bone thickness and density in patients with displaced maxillary canines: A cone-beam tomography study.

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated lateral incisor and canine morphology and dimensions, maxillary bone density, and volume in subjects with displaced maxillary canines. METHODS: Cone-beam computed tomography images for 134 palatally displaced canines (PDCs), 57 buccally displaced canines (BDCs), and 87 nondisplaced canines (NDCs) were analyzed. Canine and lateral incisor dimensions, alveolar bone dimensions, and maxillary bone volume and density were measured. RESULTS: The root length of BDCs was short compared with NDC and PDC groups. The lateral incisor was short in the PDC group compared with NDC and BDC groups. In the BDC group, maxillary bone volume was reduced compared with NDCs and PDCs. Significant differences were detected between BDC and PDC groups in bone density buccal to canines and between BDC and NDC groups in bone density distal to canines. The density of maxillary bone was the highest in the PDC group and the lowest in the BDC group compared with the NDC group. Eight variables were associated with the site of maxillary canine displacement: lateral incisor tip, alveolar bone density, alveolar bone width, bone density buccal to canine, canine width labiopalatally, maxillary bone volume, and canine midsagittal width. CONCLUSIONS: In PDCs, the maxillary lateral incisor was short, the canine root had a larger crown/root ratio, and maxillary bone volume was increased compared with NDCs. In BDCs, the canine root was shorter than NDCs and PDCs, maxillary bone volume was reduced compared with NDCs, and bone density at the buccal side was reduced compared with the PDC group.

The alveolar bone height of the primary and first permanent molars in healthy 6- to 9-year-old Jordanian children.

AIM: To establish a threshold cemantoenamel junction (CEJ)-alveolar bone crest (ABC) distance in healthy 6- to 9-year-old Jordanian children and determine the effect of pathological changes, physiological changes, gender, and age on the CEJ-ABC distance. DESIGN: Bitewing radiographs were made for 539 6- to 9-year-old children. Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), calculus index (CI), DMFS score, and pocket depth were all assessed through clinical examination. CEJ-ABC distance was measured from radiographs at the mesial surface of permanent first molars (PFM), and the mesial and distal surfaces of primary molars. RESULTS: The CEJ-ABC distance ranged from 0.00 to 4.49 mm, the mean for all surfaces was 0.84 ± 0.44 mm, no gender or age group differences were found. The mesial surface of the PFMs had the smallest mean CEJ-ABC distance. The CEJ-ABC distances were greater in the maxilla than in the mandible. No significant effect of PI, GI or CI on CEJ-ABC distance was found. Caries, faulty restorations, exfoliation, and partial eruption adjacent to measured surfaces had significant effect on the CEJ-ABC distance. CONCLUSION: The mean CEJ-ABC distance was <1 mm. Threshold CEJ-ABC distances of 1.0 and 1.5 mm for PFMs and primary molars, respectively, are suggested to be used in 6- to 9-year-old children.

Crown-root ratio of permanent teeth in cleft lip and palate patients.

OBJECTIVES: To determine root lengths of fully developed permanent teeth of cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients and to define their crown-root (C/R) ratios. METHOD: Crown height and root length of permanent teeth were measured from panoramic radiographs of 44 CLP patients and 37 controls. A total of 1397 teeth were measured, and C/R ratios were calculated. RESULTS: Higher C/R ratios were found in CLP patients; this was statistically significant for both maxillary and mandibular incisors and canines. Bilateral CLP subjects showed higher C/R ratios in general than unilateral CLP subjects. Roots of maxillary incisors, canines, and some other teeth were significantly shorter in CLP patients than in controls. CONCLUSIONS: CLP patients should be considered to have unfavorable C/R ratios, which could be the result of short root lengths for some teeth.

Prevalence of dental anomalies in a population of cleft lip and palate patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to investigate radiographically the prevalence of dental anomalies in a group of Jordanian cleft lip and/or palate subjects. DESIGN: This is a retrospective review of panoramic radiographs of 78 subjects with cleft lip and/or palate that were evaluated from their file records and investigated for possible dental anomalies. RESULTS: Dental anomalies were found frequently in cleft lip and/or palate subjects. Missing teeth were found in 66.7% of the patients; the tooth most commonly missing was the maxillary lateral incisor. Supernumerary teeth were found in 16.7% of patients; 37% had microdontia; 70.5% had taurodontism; 30.8% had transposition and/or ectopic teeth; 19.2% had dilacerations; and 30.8% had hypoplastic teeth. There was no statistically significant difference in the above anomalies' prevalence between males and females. However, it was found that subjects with bilateral cleft lip and/or palate had significantly more microdontia (p = .005), dilaceration (p = .002), and hypoplastic teeth (p = .0001) than subjects with unilateral cleft lip and/or palate. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of dental anomalies in cleft lip and/or palate patients was higher than what had been reported in the normal Jordanian population. This emphasizes the relation of cleft lip and/or palate to all dental anomalies studied. Although our study represents a thorough and complete description of dental anomalies present in a sample of cleft lip and/or palate subjects, larger samples are required to effectively determine the relationship of each dental anomaly with cleft type.

Mineralization of the stylohyoid ligament complex in a Jordanian sample: a clinicoradiographic study.

PURPOSE: To record the prevalence of anatomic variations and the associated symptoms of mineralized stylohyoid complex (MSHC) in a Jordanian sample, and to investigate the possible factors responsible for mineralization. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was conducted at the Dental Teaching Clinics of Jordan University of Science and Technology in patients referred for panoramic radiographs. The MSHC, on either side of panoramic radiographs, was mapped out on tracing paper, the length directly measured, and the true length calculated. The true length of the MSHC was used to classify every side into short, long, or elongated, and the radiographic type of long and elongated MSHCs was determined as elongated, pseudoarticulated, or segmented. RESULTS: A total of 867 MSHCs were traced with an overall average length of the 23.1 mm. The most frequent class and type were long (53.3%) and elongated (41.6%), respectively. There was a significantly (P < .05) progressive increase in the length of the MSHC. The frequency of both of elongated and pseudoarticulated types increased and that of the segmented type decreased with aging. The mean length of the MSHC for patients with a history of tonsillectomy (26.29 mm) was significantly higher (P < .05) than its value in patients without a history of tonsillectomy (22.70). There was also a significantly (P < .05) progressive increase in the length of the MSHC as the age when tonsillectomy was performed increased. The mean length of the MSHC for cases with history of recurrent tonsillitis (6.99 mm) was significantly higher (P < .05) than for those without (2.42 mm). The mean length of the MSHC for patients with a history of head-and-neck or whole-body trauma was not statistically significantly different (P > .05) from the value for the nontraumatized patients. The mean length of the MSHC for patients with arthritis (27.70 mm) was significantly higher (P < .05) than that in patients without arthritis (22.53 mm). The highest frequency of MSHC palpated in the tonsillar fossa was significantly (P < .05) related to the elongated class (44; 64.8%) and type (100; 52%). The mean length of the MSHC was significantly higher in patients who reported having 4 symptoms, but only 1 symptom had a significant association with the type of MSHC. CONCLUSION: History of recurrent tonsillitis has a major effect on the true length of the MSHC, and trauma is not a significant factor for the development of longer MSHC.

Dental development in subjects with thalassemia major.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the dental development of patients with ss-thalassemia major and to compare it with unaffected children. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Panoramic radiographs of 44 thalassemic patients taken before the age of 16 years were examined. The subjects consisted of 29 males and 15 females ranging in age from 4.9 to 15.7 (mean = 10.8+/-2.9) years and 44 controls matched for age and sex. The seven left mandibular permanent teeth, second molar to central incisor, were rated on an eight stage scale using the methods described by Demirjian et al.10 The stage of each tooth was converted to the corresponding numeric value and then all values were added to obtain a dental maturity score which corresponded to a dental age. Dental and chronologic ages were compared using a paired t-test. The relationship between the chronologic age and the amount of delay was also determined. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients had a delay in the development of their dentition. The mean developmental dental delay was found to be 1.01 years (p<0.05). The range in delay was from 0.1 to 2.9 years. There was no significant difference between the mean chronologic and dental age of the control group (p> 0.05). The amount of delay in dental development increases as the patient's age increased (p<0.05). Males were found to have a greater delay (mean 1.16 years) than females (mean delay 0.73 years), but this difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The delay in dental development in ss-thalassemia major varied according to the patient's age. This positive correlation parallels the general growth of thalassemic children.