Clinical and microbiological parameters in patients with self-ligating and conventional brackets during early phase of orthodontic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of different bracket designs (conventional brackets and self-ligating brackets) on periodontal clinical parameters and periodontal pathogens in subgingival plaque. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The following inclusion criteria were used: requirement of orthodontic treatment plan starting with alignment and leveling, good general health, healthy periodontium, no antibiotic therapy in the previous 6 months before the beginning of the study, and no smoking. The study sample totaled 38 patients (13 male, 25 female; mean age, 14.6 ± 2.0 years). Patients were divided into two groups with random distribution of brackets. Recording of clinical parameters was done before the placement of the orthodontic appliance (T0) and at 6 weeks (T1), 12 weeks (T2), and 18 weeks (T3) after full bonding of orthodontic appliances. Periodontal pathogens of subgingival microflora were detected at T3 using a commercially available polymerase chain reaction test (micro-Dent test) that contains probes for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant higher prevalence of A actinomycetemcomitans in patients with conventional brackets than in patients with self-ligating brackets, but there was no statistically significant difference for other putative periodontal pathogens. The two different types of brackets did not show statistically significant differences in periodontal clinical parameters. CONCLUSION: Bracket design does not seem to have a strong influence on periodontal clinical parameters and periodontal pathogens in subgingival plaque. The correlation between some periodontal pathogens and clinical periodontal parameters was weak.

Analysis of the soft tissue facial profile of Croatians using of linear measurements.

One hundred and ten subjects (52 males and 58 females) between 23-28 years of age with dental Class I occlusal relationship, good soft tissue profile, and Caucasian ethnicity were selected from the population of dental students at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. The soft tissue facial profiles were digitally analyzed using linear (11 vertical and 14 horizontal) measurements made with standardized photographic records, taken in natural head position, to determine average soft tissue facial profile for males and females. The application of Student t-test showed gender dimorphism in most parameters of the labial, nasal. and chin areas. Almost all vertical variables were larger in the males, except the length of the nasal tip, which was larger in females. In the height of the vermilion, no gender dimorphism was observed. The females exhibited shallower labial sulci than the males and their chins were at least as prominent as those of the males. This study showed that male chins are not absolutely more prominent than female chins, but only appear to be such because their labial sulci are deeper.

Soft-start polymerization of fissure sealant: retention after three years.

The aim of this study was to investigate retention of composite fissure sealant polymerized with standard and soft-start technique after a three year clinical trial. One hundred teeth were divided into two groups (A&B) of teeth and sealed with composite material (Visioseal, 3M Espe) using split mouth design. Sealants were polymerized using standard (Group A) and soft-start (Group B) techniques with commercial polymerization unit (Elipar Highlight, 3M Espe). Retention rate in Group A was 72%. In 14 teeth sealant was partially or completely missing. Group B showed retention rate of 80%. Sealant was partially or completely missing in 10 teeth. Six new caries lesions in Group A (3) and B (3) were detected. Mann-Whitney test did not reveal significant differences between the polymerization techniques. After three years complete retention of sealants, regardless of the group, was 76% (76 teeth) with six new caries lesions. Soft-start polymerization showed a comparable retention rate as the standard polymerization technique.