Orthodontic treatment of a non-syndromic patient with congenital agenesis of multiple permanent teeth: a rare case.

This article presents the first stage of treatment, respectively the orthodontic management of a non-syndromic, 13-year-old patient, with multiple and asymmetric missing teeth. The difficulty of the case was increased by the association of an impacted premolar and also by the loss, due to extended caries, of three of the first permanent molars. The patient came from a rural area, where access to dental treatment was limited. His parents realized too late that the child had significant damage to his permanent first molars, that he was no longer eating properly and that he had spaces between teeth. The uncertain outcome of endodontic treatment and prosthetic restoration at the level of first permanent molars and the additional costs made the parents decide, together with the dental practitioner, to extract teeth Nos. 16, 36 and 46. Giving the situation, the first phase treatment plan was represented by orthodontic closing of several maxillary spaces and the reduction of edentulous ridge in the mandible, followed by the maintenance of the space for two future implants, each one replacing the first molars in the third and fourth quadrants. Particularly for this growing patient, early intervention to treat and save as much from the permanent teeth as possible, to expose the impacted premolar, to level and align the teeth in order to obtain continuous dental arches and a good occlusion plane, and later to apply space maintainers that will be replaced by prosthetic restorations, represented an enormous step for long-term stability and proper functioning.

Mandibular lateral incisor-first premolar transposition in early mixed dentition: a rare case.

Dental transposition is an anomaly of eruption which is usually seen in the maxilla and rarely in the mandible. The mandibular lateral incisor's transposition with the permanent canine has a prevalence of less than 0.03%. The following case presents an even rarer situation, of a right lateral mandibular incisor that erupted in the place of the first premolar, in transposition with the temporary canine. In the first phase, a series of extractions have been performed, to ensure the necessary free space for moving the lateral incisor closer to its appropriate place, and after that a fixed orthodontic appliance was used. The biomechanics for intra-arch tooth movement was ingenious enough to ensure a perfect alignment of all permanent teeth and a functional Class I canine and molar final occlusion. Early intervention and successful move of the permanent canine in its correct position ensured the functionality of the mandibular movements and a good long-term prognosis.

A rare find of a maxillary third molar with five roots: a case report of an unusual morphology.

Third molars are frequently absent or impacted; their unpredictable prevalence and morphology, with frequent anatomical variations, is a challenge for the practitioner. The number of roots of the upper third molars vary from one to five, but five roots upper third molars' cases are extremely rare. The case reported here is of a normotrophic male patient, with no significant general medical history, having extracted an impacted maxillary upper molar, with an unusual position and dimensions and five completely separated formed roots, orientated in diverse directions. It highlights the importance of using the correct surgical technique, without excessive pressure, for avoiding the fracture of the maxillary tuberosity, the displacement of the molar into the pterygopalatine fossa or the opening of the maxillary sinus, especially in the absence of good quality imagistic information like cone-beam computed tomography. The case presented in this paper is very rare and highlights the significance of anatomical knowledge, which is mandatory for managing these cases, to avoid trauma, accidents, and complications and to maintain an optimal time of extraction, since such variations occur, and the conventional radiographs do not offer enough data to clarify the diagnosis.

Base Materials' Influence on Fracture Resistance of Molars with MOD Cavities.

The aim of this study was to compare fracture resistance of teeth presenting medium-sized mesial-occlusal-distal (MOD) cavities using different base materials. Thirty-six extracted molars were immersed for 48 h in saline solution (0.1% thymol at 4 °C) and divided into six groups. In group A, the molars were untouched, and in group B, cavities were prepared, but not filled. In group C, we used zinc polycarboxylate cement, in group D-conventional glass ionomer cement, in group E-resin modified glass ionomer cement, and in group F-flow composite. Fracture resistance was tested using a universal loading machine (Lloyd Instruments) with a maximum force of 5 kN and a crosshead speed of 1.0 mm/min; we used NEXYGEN Data Analysis Software and ANOVA Method (p < 0.05). The smallest load that determined the sample failure was 2780 N for Group A, 865 N for Group B, 1210 N for Group C, 1340 N for Group D, 1630 N for Group E and 1742 N for Group F. The highest loads were 3050 N (A), 1040 N (B), 1430 N (C), 1500 N (D), 1790 N (E), and 3320 N (F), the mean values being 2902 ± 114 N (A), 972 ± 65 N (B), 1339 ± 84 N (C), 1415 ± 67 N (D), 1712 ± 62 N (E), and 2334 ± 662 N (F). A p = 0.000195 shows a statistically significant difference between groups C, D, E and F. For medium sized mesial-occlusal-distal (MOD) cavities, the best base material regarding fracture resistance was flow composite, followed by glass ionomer modified with resin, conventional glass ionomer cement and zinc polycarboxylate cement. It can be concluded that light-cured base materials are a better option for the analyzed use case, one of the possible reasons being their compatibility with the final restoration material, also light-cured.

Unilateral agenesis of permanent superior canine in familial peg-shaped lateral incisors: rare case report and literature review.

Agenesis of permanent maxillary and mandibular canines is very rare; one to all four can be missing, isolated or in association with other missing teeth or with dental morphology abnormalities. Such cases can present functional, esthetic, and psychological problems, since the canine's role in functional occlusion and in obtaining an aesthetic smile is crucial. Frequently, the canine's absence from the arch is caused by impaction; its congenital absence is extremely rare in patients with no associated syndrome. The aim of this paper was to present a very rare case of a non-syndromic Romanian adult female patient with a unilateral permanent maxillary missing canine, in association with peg-shaped maxillary lateral permanent incisors, which can have a genetic cause, since the same morphological abnormality was present in her father and her younger sister, who also presented a rare situation of bilateral upper transposition between the canines and lateral incisors. The association of a permanent maxillary canine hypodontia with bilateral "peg laterals" and transposition between the maxillary canine and the peg-shaped lateral incisors is also rare as a family character in healthy patients. Future statistical studies are necessary to establish the incidence of permanent maxillary canine agenesis in Romanian population. Also, the article includes a detailed literature review of reported cases of agenesis of permanent maxillary canines.

Supernumerary permanent maxillary canine - a rare finding: case report and literature review.

Supernumerary teeth are dental units that appear in addition to the regular number of teeth. Their most frequent location is the anterior maxilla, especially on the maxillary midline, being called mesiodens, but also paramedian or in the position of a lateral incisor. On the other hand, the permanent canine is one of the most stable teeth regarding the number, with very few cases reported about hypo- or hyperdontia. This article reviews the few data found in the literature about the supernumerary permanent maxillary canine and also presents the case of an 8-year-old female patient with a supplemental permanent canine in the upper left maxilla. The patient was non-syndromic and did not present any other supernumerary teeth in the permanent dentition; she had only one in the temporary dentition. Using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) of the region, we were able to evaluate the position, structure, and shape of the supplemental canine and also to establish a treatment plan. The aim of this paper was to present this extremely rare case of a non-syndromic Romanian adult female patient with a unilateral supplemental permanent maxillary canine, and to include a literature review of the few reported such cases.

A rare case of transmigrated mandibular canine and combined orthodontic-surgical management.

Canines are paramount teeth for esthetics and function. Transmigration of the lower permanent canine is a rare process of alteration of the eruption path toward the opposite part of the mandible. The position of the migrating tooth varies at different ages, so early detection of the tendency to cross the midline is crucial; canines that have already passed through the center of the mandible can be impossible to realign. Transmigration can start any time before the normal age of eruption. Comparing two radiographic images taken at different ages offers important diagnosis information. Camilleri & Scerri (2003) described a progressive alteration of the tooth position in four steps, from the normal appearance to a low position inside the corpus of the mandible. Following this classification, this article's aim was to present a case of an impacted lower canine that was diagnosed between the second and third stage of transmigration, around the age of 10, and to detail the combined orthodontic-surgical treatment strategy for "recapturing" and the orthodontic mechanics used to align it. After the examination of cone-beam computed tomography, we have decided to use a lingual arch as a space maintainer and anchorage tool and to surgically expose the tooth. The canine's initial position and the direction of the force of traction used allowed a proper alignment of the tooth inside the dental arch. The periodontal tissues management was important for good healing, stability, and aesthetics. The early detection allowed a proper interdisciplinary orthodontic-surgical management, and a successful outcome.

Periodontal clinico-morphological changes in patients wearing old nickel-chromium and copper alloys bridges.

Elderly population frequently presents more than one prosthetic restoration realized from different types of dental alloys which, in time, suffer various alterations in the oral environment. Metallic ions are released in saliva due to its electrolytic qualities, interacting with the contact tissues. Studies regarding cytotoxicity of dental alloys are providing contradictory results. Besides biocompatibility, the microbial factor is also greatly influencing the long-term success of the prosthetic rehabilitation. This study's aim was to assess the response of the gingival tissue to nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr) and copper (Cu)-based dental casting alloys from fixed dentures present in many patients from Romania. Gingival samples were taken from 124 patients wearing fixed dental restorations made from these two types of alloys from injured areas surrounding the abutment teeth; histological specimens were prepared, fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, paraffin-embedded and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE). Histological analysis showed the existence of a chronic inflammatory infiltrate in the gingival chorion, necrosis areas, and vascular congestion. Various morphological alterations appeared, depending on the intensity of the inflammation and the immune response. The surface epithelium suffered a hyperplasic reaction, either limited to acanthosis or involving the whole epithelium, the release of the Cu(2+) and Ni(2+) ions from the dental alloys used in bridges and crowns being responsible for inducing gingival hyperplasia and a chronic inflammation in the areas situated around the abutment teeth. The immunohistochemical study allowed us to observe an increased number of positive cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) T-lymphocytes in periodontium, proving that the cellular immune response is rapid and intense.