Nonsurgical maxillary expansion in adults: report on clinical cases using the Hyrax expander.

BACKGROUND: Maxillary expansion in adults is object of intense controversy and is still considered an unreliable procedure within the orthodontic community. Therefore, the surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion is still considered the elective treatment nowadays. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a nonsurgical maxillary expansion treatment in adult patients with unilateral or bilateral crossbites and to assess the occurrence of related complications, such as pain and tissue swelling, tipping of the posterior teeth and gingival recessions. METHODS: Maxillary expansion using a Hyrax appliance on the upper first premolars and first molars was performed in 29 patients ranged between 18 and 32 years, mean age of 22±4 years. The sample included 13 patients with unilateral crossbite and 16 with bilateral crossbite. The statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS Statistics version 23.0. An analysis of the paired data obtained on dental casts before and after treatment was performed using the Student's t-test. RESULTS: The posterior crossbite was fully corrected in all patients. The procedure was well tolerated, and pain, swelling or discomfort was not significant. Statistically significant differences were found between the interdental widths for all pairs, with a P<0.001 for all of them, except in the measurements of canines, in which P=0.001. Measurements of clinical crown height at the beginning (T0) and at the end (T1) of treatment were performed for the same teeth. An increase of the clinical crown height between 0.14 and 0.44 mm was found for premolars and molars. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that nonsurgical maxillary expansion in adult patients is an efficient method for correcting transverse deficiency in the maxillary arch. Similarly, the level of complications during treatment was not clinically significant, thus this procedure may be considered a safe treatment.

True vertical validation in facial orthognathic surgery planning.

OBJECTIVES: To validate the effectiveness of the original standards of True Vertical (TV) Subnasal Line in orthognatic surgery planning. The present study evaluates the changes occurring in patients with skeletal Class II alterations programmed for orthognathic surgery with a view to improving their facial profile. STUDY DESIGN: [corrected] We showed a series of black profiles (composed by a first control group of subjects with normal occlusion, and another two additional groups comprised patients before -Group 2- and after orthognatic surgical correction of Class II malocclusion -Group 3-) for three groups of observers (orthodontists, surgeons and laypeople). The facial images became black silhouettes in order to determine a series of parameters (including aesthetic assessment) by means of the observers. Their observation were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 52 profile's subjects who were tested for a total of 72 observers. Aesthetic assessment yielded mean scores of 2.57, 1.67 and 2.46 for groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.001) between group 1 versus group 2. There were no significant differences in terms of observer assessment of aesthetics, with the exception of a wider perception range among the orthodontists. Regarding the studied profile measures, significant differences were recorded for point B' and Pg' (p<0.02) between groups 2 and 3 (i.e., pre- versus post-surgery). CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggest the subnasale vertical and sagittal measures of the lower third of the face are decisive in facial aesthetics, and therefore also for the planning of orthognathic surgery. Consequently, these aesthetic parameters can be used as an objective tool for the planning of orthodontic treatment. Key words:Facial profile, Class II, orthognathic surgery, cephalometric analysis, facial soft tissue, subnasale vertical.

Clinical measurement of tooth wear: Tooth wear indices.

Attrition, erosion, and abrasion result in alterations to the tooth and manifest as tooth wear. Each classification corresponds to a different process with specific clinical features. Classifications made so far have no accurate prevalence data because the indexes do not necessarily measure a specific etiology, or because the study populations can be diverse in age and characteristics. Tooth wears (attrition, erosion and abrasion) is perceived internationally as a growing problem. However, the interpretation and comparison of clinical and epidemiological studies, it is increasingly difficult because of differences in terminology and the large number of indicators/indices that have been developed for the diagnosis, classification and monitoring of the loss of dental hard tissue. These indices have been designed to identify increasing severity and are usually numerical, none have universal acceptance, complicating the evaluation of the true increase in prevalence reported. This article considers the ideal requirements for an erosion index. A literature review is conducted with the aim of analyzing the evolution of the indices used today and discuss whether they meet the clinical needs and research in dentistry. Key words:Tooth wear, tooth wear indices, attrition, erosion, abrasion, abfraction.

Treatment of a large maxillary cyst with marsupialization, decompression, surgical endodontic therapy and enucleation.

A large maxillary cyst was treated for 3 months with marsupialization and decompression, followed by surgical endodontic therapy of the affected teeth and cystectomy. Although small cystic lesions will typically heal with nonsurgical endodontic therapy, larger lesions may need additional treatment. Surgical enucleation of a large cystic lesion may lead to damage of other teeth or anatomic structures. Therefore, treatment should begin with the more conservative approach of decompression, to reduce the size of the lesion, followed by apicoectomy and cystectomy.

Extracciones en ortodoncia y su influencia en la estética de la sonrisa y el perfil. Concordancia inter e intra observador / No disponible

Introducción: ¿Puede reconocer un ortodoncista a simple vista si un caso fue tratado con o sin extracciones de primeros premolares? Muchos autores han sugerido que las extracciones de primeros premolares afectan a la estética de la sonrisa y el perfil. Objetivo: Determinar la concordancia inter-intra observador para indentificar la realización o no de extracciones, evaluar el incremento o decremento estético del caso y si existe, la relación con las extracciones. Material y métodos: Se mostraron fotografías faciales [iniciales y finales] de sonrisa y perfil de 40 casos: 20 tratados con extracciones de primeros premolares y 20, sin extracciones. Participaron 4 ortodoncistas y 6 estudiantes de la especialidad los cuales debían determinar si el caso había sido tratado con o sin extracciones y determinar su valoración estética personal a través de una escala analógica visual. Conclusiones: Se confirma la idea de que no existe en ortodoncia un criterio unificado basado en la evidencia que determine las pautas para tomar la decisión de extraer o no extraer. Este artículo invita a la reflexión sobre la necesidad de unificar criterios sobre los cuales basar nuestras decisiones de realizar extracciones. Sería necesario determinar parámetros basados en la evidencia científica o elaborar guías de práctica clínica, aún sabiendo las limitaciones en este campo pues somos conscientes de que para la ortodoncia jamás habrá una receta, y que hay tantas maloclusiones como sujetos maloclusivos hay (AU)

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