Facial aging trajectories: A common shape pattern in male and female faces is disrupted after menopause.

OBJECTIVES: Despite variation in lifestyle and environment, first signs of human facial aging show between the ages of 20-30 years. It is a cumulative process of changes in the skin, soft tissue, and skeleton of the face. As quantifications of facial aging in living humans are still scarce, we set out to study age-related changes in three-dimensional facial shape using geometric morphometrics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected surface scans of 88 human faces (aged 26-90 years) from the coastal town Split (Croatia) and neighboring islands. Based on a geometric morphometric analysis of 585 measurement points (landmarks and semilandmarks), we modeled sex-specific trajectories of average facial aging. RESULTS: Age-related facial shape change was similar in both sexes until around age 50, at which time the female aging trajectory turned sharply. The overall magnitude of facial shape change (aging rate) was higher in women than men, especially in early postmenopause. Aging was generally associated with a flatter face, sagged soft tissue ("broken" jawline), deeper nasolabial folds, smaller visible areas of the eyes, thinner lips, and longer nose and ears. In postmenopausal women, facial aging was best predicted by the years since last menstruation and mainly attributable to bone resorption in the mandible. DISCUSSION: With high spatial and temporal resolution, we were able to extract a shared facial aging pattern in women and men, and its divergence after menopause. This fully quantitative three-dimensional analysis of human facial aging may not only find applications in forensic and ancient human facial reconstructions, but shall include lifestyle and endocrinological measures, and also reach out to studies of social perception.

Dental Age in Orthodontic Patients with Different Skeletal Patterns.

Objective. To evaluate the difference between chronological and dental age, calculated by Willems and Cameriere methods, in various skeletal patterns according to Steiner's ANB Classification. Methods. This retrospective cross-sectional study comprised the sample of 776 participants aged between 7 and 15 years (368 males and 408 females). For each participant, panoramic images (OPT) and laterolateral cephalograms (LC) were collected from the medical database. On LC ANB angle was measured; on OPT dental age (DA) was calculated while chronological age (CA) and sex were recorded. The sample was divided into three subgroups (Class I, Class II, and Class III) with similar distribution based on the chronological age and ANB angle. CA was calculated as the difference between the date of OPT imaging and the date of birth, while DA was evaluated using Willems and Cameriere methods. ANB angle was measured on LC by two independent investigators using the cephalometric software. Differences between sexes and the difference between dental and chronological age were tested by independent and paired samples t-test, respectively; one-way ANOVA was used to test differences among ANB classes with Tukey post hoc test to compare specific pairs of ANB classes. Results. The significant difference was found between Class III and other two skeletal classes in males using both dental age estimation methods. In Class III males dental age was ahead averagely by 0.41 years when using Willems method, while Cameriere method overestimated CA for 0.22 years. Conclusion. In males with Class III skeletal pattern, dental development is faster than in Classes I and II skeletal pattern. This faster development is not present in females.

The use of ozone in the prevention of osteoradionecrosis of the jaw.

Radiation therapy of the head and neck area has resulted in numerous and undesired effects on the oral cavity tissue. The most frequent and most dangerous complications of radiotherapy of the head and neck area is osteoradionecrosis (ORN). The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the possibility of using ozone in the prevention of ORN of the jaw, and show the recent therapeutic protocols for treatment in patients receiving radiation therapy for the head and neck. We used an ElektroMagneTron device during the therapy. The patient underwent postoperative follow-up examination when bio-oxygenation therapy and clinical evaluation of wound healing were performed. Wound healing evaluation showed no complications. Ozone therapy is given as an option in the therapeutic protocol for the prevention and treatment of ORN. 

Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life with Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (APDT) and Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) after Third Molar Removal.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT) and low level laser therapy (LLLT) on wound healing, pain intensity, swelling problems, halitosis and the postoperative usage of analgesics after surgical removal of lower third molars. METHODS: One hundred and fifty patients, randomly divided into three groups were selected (50 per each group). The P1 group received the APDT after a third molar surgery, the P2 group received the LLLT and the C group (control group) was without any additional therapy after surgery. A photoactive substance was applied in the APDT study group before suturing. After 60 seconds the photosensitive substance was thoroughly washed with saline water and the laser light was applied in two intervals (30 seconds each). The irradiation power was 50 mW while the wavelength was 660 nm. The laser therapy in P2 group was performed before suturing and the laser light was applied also in two intervals (90 seconds each), the irradiation power was 90 mW while the wavelength was the same as in the first group - 660 nm. Postoperative follow-ups were scheduled on the third and the seventh day in patients who received laser therapy. RESULTS: The results of the postoperative evaluation showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the postoperative wound healing, pain intensity, swelling problems, halitosis and analgesics intake between patients in all three groups (p<0.001). The patients that were subjected to APDT (P1) had the least postoperative problems. After the laser therapy (P1 and P2) wound healing was without any complications, opposite from the patients from the C group (p<0.001). Postoperative application of a laser therapy significantly reduced patient's use of analgesics over the observed period of time (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Both modalities of laser therapy significantly reduced postoperative problems after surgical removal of third lower molars with the best results in both laser groups.