Perception of pain due to various orthodontic procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate five orthodontic procedures, namely separator placement, banding, initial arch wire ligation (0.016 NiTi), T-loop activation, and use of intermaxillary elastics with respect to intensity of peak pain, time of peak pain, need of medication for pain relief, and effect on routine life due to pain. METHOD AND MATERIALS: One hundred patients (52 males, 48 females) selected for comprehensive orthodontic therapy were included in the study. They were divided into five study groups, namely the separator group, banding group, initial NiTi group, T-loop activation group, and intermaxillary elastics group. Each patient was given a previously prepared questionnaire regarding the following: time of peak pain, intensity of peak pain, need for analgesic consumption, and effect on routine life. RESULTS: Consumption of medication for pain relief was found to be highest in the separator and the initial NiTi groups. Routine life was affected most in the intermaxillary elastics and the initial NiTi groups, but it was not statistically significant. Statistically significant differences were found between the T-loop activation and the banding groups and also between the banding and the intermaxillary elastic groups with respect to perception of intensity of peak pain. In the separator group, the time of peak pain was experienced at the 24th hour and in the rest of the groups it was at the 6th hour with most patients, although the values were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Peak pain intensity varies from one procedure to another. It was significantly more due to T-loop activation and wear of intermaxillary elastics than banding.

Dermatillomania: In patient undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Dermatillomania is a disorder in which a person habitually picks their skin, and this is a form of self-injury. It can involve any part of the body, but usually involves the face, neck, arms and shoulders. Symptoms often follow an event that has caused severe emotional distress. A dermatillomania or compulsive skin picking episode may be a conscious response to anxiety or depression but is frequently done as an unconscious habit. In this case report, a patient undergoing orthodontic treatment was found to be suffering from dermatillomania and was treated using psychological counseling.

Orthodontic management of maxillary canine first premolar transposition - a conservative approach.

Among dentitional anomalies, tooth transposition is considered the most difficult to manage clinically. Unilateral maxillary canine-first premolar (Mx. C.P1) transpositions are found more often than bilateral transpositions, and the left side is more frequently involved than the right. A case of maxillary canine -first premolar (Mx. C.P1) complete transposition is presented in which transposition was maintained during the treatment. Aligning the teeth in the transposed order would probably require less treatment time than correcting the transposition. Management of transposition must be assessed on a case to case basis. Dental transposition can be corrected orthodontically, but the mechanics are complex, treatment time is long, and damage is possible to the supporting dental tissue.

Familial florid cemento-osseous dysplasia: a rare manifestation in an Indian family.

Florid cemento-osseous dysplasia (FCOD) is one of the uncommon dysplasias affecting the maxillofacial region. The age group may vary from 19 to 76 years and typically presents in the 4th and 5th decades. In most cases patients do not have hereditary basis of disease, and only a few familial cases have been documented. As far as we know this is the 1st reported case of familial FCOD in an Indian family. The mother and son exhibited multiple sclerotic masses in both jaws. The mode of transmission appeared to be autosomal dominant with variable phenotypic expression.

Orthodontic management of buccally erupted ectopic canine with two case reports.

Ectopic canine teeth develop displaced from their normal position. Any permanent tooth can be ectopic, and the cause may be both genetic and environmental. Orthodontic treatment is justified because ectopic canine teeth can migrate in the jaw bone and may damage the adjacent teeth roots and bone. Orthodontic treatment is also justifiable for aesthetic reasons. Diagnosis and treatment of ectopically erupting permanent maxillary canines requires timely management by the orthodontist. Internal or external root resorption of teeth adjacent to the ectopic canine is the most common sequel. Malocclusion with severe crowding is difficult to treat without extraction. Non-extraction treatment of ectopic canines can compromise the patient's profile. This article represents two cases of extraction treatment approach for buccally displaced or ectopic canine in a patient with severe crowding in the mandibular arch.

Soft-tissue cephalometric norms in a north Indian ethnic population.

BACKGROUND: Soft tissues play the primary role of physical appearance and facial esthetics. This study aimed to establish soft-tissue cephalometric standards in North Indian adults, which can be used in diagnosis, treatment planning, and stability of orthodontic outcome and orthognathic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A group of 60 individuals (30 males and 30 females) with normal occlusion and proportional facial profile were chosen. For the entire chosen sample, lateral cephalograms were obtained. Standard values of 11 soft-tissue measurements were determined. RESULTS: Soft-tissue measurements showed that men had greater soft-tissue facial angle (92.10°) than women (89.92°). Also, they had more nose prominence (18.10 mm) than women (16.44 mm). Skeletal profile convexity (A to N-pog) of men (0.40 mm) was less than women (1.76 mm). Basic upper lip thickness was higher in men (16.60 mm) compared to women (14.24 mm), while H-angle was higher in women (16.68°) as compared to men (14.30°). In the lower face area, inferior sulcus to the H line distance was more in men (7.30 mm) than women (4.80 mm). Men had greater soft-tissue chin thickness (14.10 mm) than women (12.84 mm). CONCLUSION: The differences in soft-tissue cephalometric norms between men and women of North Indian faces were established, so the orthodontist or surgeon must individualize treatment planning, using local norms as the reference.

Onychophagia (Nail biting), anxiety, and malocclusion.

Nail biting is a stress removing habit adopted by many children and adults. People usually do it when they are nervous, stressed, hungry, or bored. All of these situations are having a common phenomenon between them is anxiety. Onychophagia is also a sign of other emotional or mental disorders. It is a habit that is not easy to quit and reflection of extreme nervousness or inability to handle stressful conditions. This abnormal habit may cause various malocclusions associated with dentoalveolar segment of the oral cavity. Crowding and rotations of incisors are common with this habit.

Emergency orthodontic care.

Orthodontic appliances or parts of orthodontic appliances have caused problems from less severe like discomfort, ulcers and irritation of lips or cheeks to most severe problems like swallowing or aspiration of appliances or its parts. The type of appliances that have caused problems and their clinical management are discussed. Suggestions are made to try and avoid the problems that were encountered in the literature in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.