Accuracy of Gonial Angle Measurements Using Panoramic Imaging versus Lateral Cephalograms in Adults with Different Mandibular Divergence Patterns.

Introduction: Gonial angle is an important craniofacial parameter providing information about symmetry and vertical dimensions of the facial skeleton. It can be measured on panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms. Reliable assessment of the gonial angle is challenged by the superimpositions associated with lateral cephalograms. The aim of the current study was to assess the precision of panoramic imaging in measuring the gonial angles compared to lateral cephalograms in adult patients with different mandibular divergence patterns. Methods: Panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms of 448 adults (18-30 years old) were utilized in the study. The gonial angle was determined on the lateral cephalograms using an online AI-driven assessment tool (WebCephTM) and compared to the panoramic measurements among the different gender, malocclusion, and mandibular divergence groups. Results: Statistically significant differences were recorded between measurements taken on lateral cephalograms or panoramic radiographs (p=0.022). In addition, statistically significant differences were reported in gonial angle measurements on panoramic radiographs among the different mandibular divergence groups (p=0.004) for FMA (p=0.002) for Sn-GoMe. Conclusion: While cephalometry is considered the gold standard tool for reliable gonial angle assessment, panoramic radiographs were more accurate in detecting the differences between the divergence groups in the current study.

Antimicrobial Efficacy of Charcoal vs. Non-charcoal Toothbrushes: A Randomized Controlled Study.

AIM: To assess the efficacy of the antimicrobial properties of charcoal vs. non-charcoal toothbrushes and the level of bacterial contamination in the oral cavity using a charcoal toothbrush. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind controlled study in which both male and female subjects aged from 18 to 35 were included (n = 30; 15 males and 15 females). The subjects were selected from (students) of Riyadh Elm University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Subjects were informed about the study and signed the consent form before participation. From January to April 2019, subjects were given charcoal and non-charcoal toothbrushes. RESULTS: The Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that there was a significant difference in bacterial counts between non-charcoal and charcoal toothbrushes (P = 0.000). Of the subjects, 70% showed a decrease in the number of bacterial counts while 30% showed no increase in bacterial counts. There was a statistically significant decrease in the number of bacteria in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) with charcoal treatment (P < 0.001). Of the subjects, 96.6% showed a decrease in the count of bacteria in GCF after using a charcoal toothbrush. Only 3.3% of the subjects had the similar counts of bacteria in GCF after using the charcoal toothbrush. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that charcoal toothbrushes reduce bacterial contamination and the poor effects on oral health after 1 week of use.