Class III treatment with mini-implants anchorage in young adult patients: short and long-term results

ABSTRACT Introduction: Class III malocclusion should be intercepted and treated at early age, to prevent the necessity of future complex and expensive procedures. The orthopedic facemask therapy has the goal to achieve skeletal changes, minimizing side effects on dentition. The use of skeletal anchorage, combined with Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansion and Constriction (Alt-RAMEC) protocol, may be effective in treating a greater number of growing Class III patients. Objective: To summarize the existing evidence-based literature on Class III malocclusion treatment in young adult patients, and to illustrate its application and effectiveness, by presenting an emblematic case report. Conclusion: The resolution of the present case, its long-term follow up, along with the studies conducted on a larger sample, demonstrate the effectiveness of the strategic combination of orthopedic and orthodontic treatments by using an hybrid rapid palatal expander and Alt-RAMEC protocol for treating Class III malocclusions in adult patients.

RESUMO Introdução: A má oclusão de Classe III deve ser interceptada e tratada em idade precoce, a fim de evitar uma futura necessidade de procedimentos complexos e invasivos. O tratamento com máscara facial ortopédica tem o objetivo de obter alterações esqueléticas, minimizando os efeitos colaterais na dentição. O uso de ancoragem óssea em mini-implantes, associada ao protocolo Alt-RAMEC (Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansion and Constriction) pode ser eficaz no tratamento de um grande número de pacientes Classe III em crescimento. Objetivo: Realizar uma síntese da literatura baseada em evidência sobre o tratamento da má oclusão de Classe III em pacientes adultos jovens, e ilustrar sua aplicação e eficácia por meio do relato de um caso emblemático. Conclusão: A resolução e o acompanhamento em longo prazo do caso apresentado, juntamente com estudos conduzidos em uma amostra maior, demonstram a eficácia da combinação estratégica dos tratamentos ortopédico e ortodôntico usando um expansor palatal híbrido e o protocolo Alt-RAMEC para corrigir a má oclusão de Classe III em pacientes adultos.

Orthodontic Emergencies and Perspectives During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Italian Experience

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the types of dental emergencies that occurred during the lockdown period in Italy (12th March-4th May) and to investigate future therapeutic preferences related to the use of different types of appliances. Material and Methods: A questionnaire dedicated to assessing dental emergencies during the lockdown period and surveying the resumption of orthodontic practice was submitted to clinicians in digital form. The first part of the questionnaire, focused on the orthodontic emergencies that were encountered in relation to the different types of orthodontic appliances and how these were resolved. The second part of the questionnaire was devoted to the resumption of clinical practice; in particular, it was designed to assess whether and what percentage of clinicians are willing to change the duration of appointments in relation to the different types of appliance used, asking them whether their approach to orthodontic treatment would change in the coming months as compared to the pre-COVID-19 era. Results: Results show that in most cases (82%), the percentage of patients who experienced a dental emergency was less than 5% and that far fewer emergencies were attributable to removable (5.7%) than to fixed appliances (94.3%). Looking ahead, clinicians expressed a greater preference for using removable (60.8%) rather than fixed appliances (39.2%). Conclusion: During the lockdown, there relatively few orthodontic emergencies, many of which were handled by telephone consultation. However, a far lower percentage of emergencies were generated by removable (e.g., clear aligners) as opposed to fixed appliances (e.g., multibracket equipment), likely influencing the decision of the majority of clinicians to opt for removable appliances in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Determining shapes and dimensions of dental arches for the use of straight-wire arches in lingual technique

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to determine the shape and dimension of dental arches from a lingual perspective, and determine shape and size of a straight archwire used for lingual Orthodontics. METHODS: The study sample comprised 70 Caucasian Brazilian individuals with normal occlusion and at least four of Andrew's six keys. Maxillary and mandibular dental casts were digitized (3D) and the images were analyzed by Delcam Power SHAPET 2010 software. Landmarks on the lingual surface of teeth were selected and 14 measurements were calculated to determine the shape and size of dental arches. RESULTS: Shapiro-Wilk test determined small arch shape by means of 25th percentile (P25%) - an average percentile for the medium arch; and a large one determined by means of 75th percentile (P75%). T-test revealed differences between males and females in the size of 12 dental arches. CONCLUSION: The straight-wire arch shape used in the lingual straight wire technique is a parabolic-shaped arch, slightly flattened on its anterior portion. Due to similarity among dental arch sizes shown by males and females, a more simplified diagram chart was designed. .

INTRODUÇÃO: esse estudo objetiva encontrar a forma e dimensão de arcadas dentária para definir a forma de um arco contínuo que possa ser utilizado na técnica lingual. MÉTODOS: a amostra foi composta por indivíduos brasileiros, leucodermas, com oclusão normal natural, que apresentaram, no mínimo, quatro das seis chaves de oclusão de Andrews. Os modelos das arcadas dentárias superior e inferior foram digitalizados (3D) e as imagens exportadas para o software Delcam Power SHAPETM 2010. Foram selecionados pontos nas superfícies linguais dos dentes e traçadas 14 medidas para determinar a forma e a dimensão da arcada dentária. RESULTADOS: o teste de Shapiro-Wilk possibilitou definir uma forma de arcada pequena utilizando o percentil 25% (P25%), uma arcada média (P50%) e uma forma de arcada grande, pelo percentil 75% (P75%). O teste t de Student comparou se houve uma diferença entre os sexos, e foram encontrados 12 tamanhos de arcadas dentárias. CONCLUSÕES: a partir dos resultados obtidos foi possível definir uma forma de arco contínuo para ser utilizado na técnica lingual Straight Wire (LSW): parábola levemente achatada na região anterior. Devido a similaridade entre alguns tamanhos de arcadas dentárias, encontrados pelo dimorfismo sexual, pôde ser elaborado um diagrama de arcadas de maneira mais simplificada. .