ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine if the extractions of lower primary canines are an effective procedure to relieve crowding of the labial segment. STUDY DESIGN: randomized controlled trial. Subject sample: 83 cases were collected in clinics in Italy, Germany and Wales. The groups were followed over a 2-year period. METHODS: Subjects were randomly allocated to a primary canine non-extraction or extraction group. Dental casts of the patients were collected at the start and at the recall period of the trial. The outcome measures recorded were lower incisor crowding, arch length, intermolar width, overbite, overjet, lower clinical crown heights and lower incisor inclinations. STATISTICS: The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the differences between the extraction and non-extraction groups. RESULTS: In both groups, crowding reduced 1.27 mm in the non-extraction group and 6.03 mm in the extraction group. The difference between the 2 groups was 4.76 mm (P<0.05). The arch perimeter decreased more in the extraction group by 2.73 mm (P<0.05). As the incisor inclination stayed essentially the same, the loss in arch length was attributed to the molars moving forward. The net gain from extracting deciduous canines was 2.03 mm. CONCLUSIONS: There was a reduction in lower incisor crowding as a result of lower primary canine extraction. However, arch perimeter decreased more in the extraction group leaving less space for the eruption of the lower secondary canines.
Subject(s)
Malocclusion/therapy , Orthodontics, Interceptive/methods , Tooth Extraction , Child , Cuspid/surgery , Dental Arch/anatomy & histology , Humans , Mandible , Statistics, Nonparametric , Tooth Extraction/statistics & numerical data , Tooth, Deciduous/surgery , Treatment OutcomeSubject(s)
Journalism, Dental , Orthodontics , Publishing , Evidence-Based Medicine , Internet , Peer Review, Research , WritingABSTRACT
Prevention is now playing a major role in all fields. An epidemiological survey of malocclusions has evaluated 6 years old children in one district in the Regione Veneto (Northern Italy). Some indications are provided as regards preventive and interceptive orthodontics (including treatment aimed to reducing the severity of problems) in the therapy of the most frequent malocclusions in this age group.
