Oral health in youth with visual impairment: A longitudinal survey.

This longitudinal survey aims to demonstrate improvement in oral hygiene among a group of youth with visual impairment (VI) achieved by repeated oral hygiene training, compare their progress with healthy peers (CG) and assess their oral health knowledge. In 100 VI (55♀, 45♂; ± 17.8 years) and 45 CG (23♀, 22♂; ± 17.2 years) oral hygiene training and a Quigley-Hein Plaque Index (QHI) rating were repeated six times at three-month intervals. The VI were divided into four subgroups according to the toothbrush hardness/type. A questionnaire was given to both groups. Appropriate statistical analyses were performed at 5% significance level. Both groups showed reduction in QHI, the VI had overall higher QHI values than CG. Use of an electric toothbrush in VI led to lower QHI in the last examination (p < 0.03). 69% of participants recommended dental specialists to improve communications by acquiring more illustrative aids. VI changed toothbrush less often (p < 0.02). A higher incidence of dental plaque was confirmed in VI compared to CG. After education and individual training, gradual plaque reduction has occurred in both groups. Using an electric toothbrush in VI resulted in better QHI outcomes. Repetitive preventive intervention in youth with VI helped them to adopt healthier oral hygiene habits.

The Slavcleft: A Three-Center Study of the Outcome of Treatment of Cleft Lip and Palate Considering Palatal Shape.

The degree of deviation of palatal shape from the norm may reflect facial growth disturbance in cleft lip and palate (CLP). The objective of this study was to compare the palatal morphology in children treated with different surgical protocols. Palatal shape was assessed with geometric morphometrics (GM) including Procrustes superimposition, principal component analysis (PCA), and permutation tests with 10,000 permutations, in 24 children treated with two-stage repair with a late palatoplasty (Prague group; mean age at assessment 8.9 years), 16 children after two-stage repair with early palatoplasty (Bratislava group; mean age 8.2 years), and 53 children treated with a one-stage repair (Warsaw group, mean age 10.3 years). The non-cleft control group comprised 60 children at 8.6 years. The first five principal components (PCs) accounted for a minimum of 5% of the total shape variability (65.9% in total). The Procrustes distance was largest for the Prague vs. Control pair and smallest for the Prague vs. Bratislava pair. Nonetheless, all intergroup differences were statistically significant (p < 0.01). One can conclude that variations in palatal shape roughly correspond to cephalometric and dental arch relationship findings from prior research. Among the children who underwent a one-stage repair of the complete cleft, their palatal morphology most closely resembled that of the non-cleft controls. Conversely, children who received late palatoplasty exhibited the greatest degree of deviation.

Pierre Robin Sequence and 3D Printed Personalized Composite Appliances in Interdisciplinary Approach.

This paper introduces a complex novel concept and methodology for the creation of personalized biomedical appliances 3D-printed from certified biocompatible photopolymer resin Dental LT Clear (V2). The explained workflow includes intraoral and CT scanning, patient virtualization, digital appliance design, additive manufacturing, and clinical application with evaluation of the appliance intended for patients with cranio-facial syndromes. The presented concept defines virtual 3D fusion of intraoral optical scan and segmented CT as sufficient and accurate data defining the 3D surface of the face, intraoral and airway morphology necessary for the 3D design of complex personalized intraoral and extraoral parts of the orthopedic appliance. A central aspect of the concept is a feasible utilization of composite resin for biomedical prototyping of the sequence of marginally different appliances necessary to keep the pace with the patient rapid growth. Affordability, noninvasiveness, and practicality of the appliance update process shall be highlighted. The methodology is demonstrated on a particular case of two-year-old infant with Pierre Robin sequence. Materialization by additive manufacturing of this photopolymer provides a highly durable and resistant-to-fracture two-part appliance similar to a Tübingen palatal plate, for example. The paper concludes with the viability of the described method and material upon interdisciplinary clinical evaluation of experts from departments of orthodontics and cleft anomalies, pediatric pneumology and phthisiology, and pediatric otorhinolaryngology.

Where Is the Artificial Intelligence Applied in Dentistry? Systematic Review and Literature Analysis.

This literature research had two main objectives. The first objective was to quantify how frequently artificial intelligence (AI) was utilized in dental literature from 2011 until 2021. The second objective was to distinguish the focus of such publications; in particular, dental field and topic. The main inclusion criterium was an original article or review in English focused on dental utilization of AI. All other types of publications or non-dental or non-AI-focused were excluded. The information sources were Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, queried on 19 April 2022. The search string was "artificial intelligence" AND (dental OR dentistry OR tooth OR teeth OR dentofacial OR maxillofacial OR orofacial OR orthodontics OR endodontics OR periodontics OR prosthodontics). Following the removal of duplicates, all remaining publications were returned by searches and were screened by three independent operators to minimize the risk of bias. The analysis of 2011-2021 publications identified 4413 records, from which 1497 were finally selected and calculated according to the year of publication. The results confirmed a historically unprecedented boom in AI dental publications, with an average increase of 21.6% per year over the last decade and a 34.9% increase per year over the last 5 years. In the achievement of the second objective, qualitative assessment of dental AI publications since 2021 identified 1717 records, with 497 papers finally selected. The results of this assessment indicated the relative proportions of focal topics, as follows: radiology 26.36%, orthodontics 18.31%, general scope 17.10%, restorative 12.09%, surgery 11.87% and education 5.63%. The review confirms that the current use of artificial intelligence in dentistry is concentrated mainly around the evaluation of digital diagnostic methods, especially radiology; however, its implementation is expected to gradually penetrate all parts of the profession.

Dental Care and Education Facing Highly Transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Variants: Prospective Biosafety Setting: Prospective, Single-Arm, Single-Center Study.

With the arrival of the highly transmissible Omicron variants (BA.4 and BA.5), dentistry faces another seasonal challenge to preserve the biosafety of dental care and education. With the aim of protecting patients, students, teachers and healthcare professionals, this paper introduces a prospective sustainable biosafety setting for everyday dental care and education. The setting developed by dental clinicians, epidemiologists, and teachers of dentistry consists of a combination of modern technologies focused on the air-borne part of the viral pathway. The introduced biosafety setting has been clinically evaluated after 18 months of application in the real clinical environment. The protocol has three fundamental pillars: (1) UVC air disinfection; (2) air saturation with certified virucidal essences with nebulizing diffusers; (3) complementary solutions including telehealth and 3D printing. A pseudonymous online smart form was used as the evaluation method. The protocol operates on the premise that everybody is a hypothetical asymptomatic carrier. The results of a clinical evaluation of 115 patient feedbacks imply that no virus transmission from patient to patient or from doctor to nurse was observed or reported using this protocol, and vice versa, although nine patients retrospectively admitted that the clinic visit is likely to be infectious. Despite these promising results, a larger clinical sample and exposition to the current mutated strains are needed for reliable conclusions about protocol virucidal efficiency in current dental environments.

Utilization of a 3D Printed Orthodontic Distalizer for Tooth-Borne Hybrid Treatment in Class II Unilateral Malocclusions.

This paper introduces a novel method of 3D designing and 3D printing of a hybrid orthodontic tooth-borne personalized distalizer for treatment of unilateral Class II malocclusion. Research objectives were to clinically utilize 3D printed distalizers, appraise feasibility of this technique and compare two different biocompatible photopolymers (white and transparent). Frequency of distalizers' debonding and patients' aesthetical perception was evaluated on the set of 12 complete orthodontic treatments. The mean duration of treatment period with a bonded distalizer was 6.4 months. All cases were adults with unilateral Class II malocclusion managed with a hybrid approach as a part of Invisalign® comprehensive treatment. Results showed that such perspective practice is feasible for 3D design and in-office 3D printing of a personalized distalizer. Results also showed no clinically significant differences between both studied biopolymers. The paper discusses an evaluation of such personalized distalizer functionality with regard to the current state of the art and compares to conventional prefabricated alternatives like a Carriere® Distalizer™ appliance. Research showed a preference of patients towards transparent biocompatible photopolymer instead of the white A2 shade. The paper concludes that additive manufacturing from dental resins is a viable method in personalization and in-office 3D printing of orthodontic auxiliaries, particularly distalizers. New materials for orthodontic 3D printing endow enhanced individualization, thus more efficient treatment.

The Slavcleft: a three-center study of the outcome of treatment of cleft lip and palate. Nasolabial appearance.

BACKGROUND: There is a multitude of protocols of treatment of cleft lip and palate (CLP) worldwide differing in number of operations, surgical techniques, and timings of surgeries. Despite, facial appearance in subjects with CLP is rarely ideal and residual stigmata are easy to notice in many patients irrespective of the protocol. The prospective controlled investigations are optimal for comparing effectiveness of treatment protocols. Because prospective studies are very challenging to perform in CLP field, it is reasonable to retrospectively assess different surgical protocols to identify the promising ones and then to test them in a prospective way. METHODS: Our objective was to assess the nasolabial appearance in a preadolescent Slavic population with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) by using the 0-200 numeric scale with reference photographs. Patients treated in Warsaw, Poland (n = 32), Prague, Czech Republic (n = 26) and Bratislava, Slovakia (n = 17) were included in this retrospective study. Each cleft center used a unique surgical protocol. Two panels of professional raters (n = 7) and laypeople (n = 10) scored blindly the nasolabial esthetics on cropped frontal and profile images with cropped reference photograph present on the same slide. Intra- and inter-rater agreement was assessed with Cronbach's alpha, intraclass correlation coefficients, t-tests, and Bland-Altman plots. Inter-group differences were evaluated with one-way ANOVA and regression analysis. RESULTS: The agreement within and between raters was acceptable. We found that patients treated in Warsaw, Prague, and Bratislava showed comparable nasolabial appearance on frontal and profile photographs when judged by both professional raters (p > 0.05) and laypeople (p > 0.05). Regression analysis did not identify influence of gender, group (i.e., Warsaw, Prague, and Bratislava), age at lip repair, surgeon, and age at photographic assessment on esthetic outcome (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study showed that none of the surgical protocols showed superiority to produce good nasolabial appearance.

The Slavcleft: A three-center study of the outcome of treatment of cleft lip and palate. Part 2: Dental arch relationships.

PURPOSE: Our aim was to evaluate the dental arch relationship in a preadolescent Slavic population with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) by using the Goslon Yardstick. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients treated in Warsaw, Poland (n = 32), Prague, Czech Republic (n = 33) and Bratislava, Slovakia (n = 30) were included in this retrospective study. Each cleft center used a unique surgical protocol. Three raters scored blindly the dental arch relationship on plaster models. Intra- and inter-rater agreement were assessed with kappa statistics, and differences between the groups were evaluated with one-way analysis of variance. Intra-rater agreement was very good (k > 0.825), while inter-rater agreement was either good or very good (kappa >0.703). RESULTS: We found that patients treated in Warsaw showed a more favorable dental arch relationship (Goslon score = 2.58, SD = 0.77) than patients treated in Prague (Goslon score = 3.21, SD = 1.04). Patients treated in Bratislava showed an intermediate Goslon score (3.07; SD = 0.99). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the dental arch relationships in patients treated in Warsaw with a one-stage repair were more favorable than in patients treated in Prague and Bratislava with a two-stage protocol and comparable to the best results obtained in the Eurocleft and Americleft studies.

Dentoalveolar Arch Dimensions in UCLP Boys After Neonatal Cheiloplasty or After Lip Surgery at the Age of 3 or 6 Months.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the influence of 3 different time protocols of cleft lip and palate operations on the growth of the dentoalveolar arch in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 64 plaster casts of 8-year-old boys with UCLP operated on according to 3 different time protocols: lip repair at the age of 6 months and palate repair at 4 years, lip repair at 3 months and palate repair at 9 months, and neonatal lip repair and palate repair at 9 months. The control group contained 13 plaster casts of 8-year-old boys. The dentoalveolar arch width was measured between deciduous canines and between the second deciduous molars; the length was measured between incisive papilla and the line connecting both tuber maxillae. RESULTS: All measured distances were statistically significantly smaller in boys with UCLP than in the control group. Intercanine width was not statistically significantly different between the patients operated on according to the different time protocols. In comparison to the lip repair at 6 months and palate repair at 4 years, the intermolar width was statistically significantly smaller in the group with neonatal lip repair; the alveolar arch length was statistically significantly shorter in both groups with lip repair performed neonatally or at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: The length of the dentoalveolar arch is shorter after surgical repair of cleft lip neonatally or at the age of 3 months. Cleft palate repair at 9 months can contribute to a reduction in the width of the dentoalveolar arch.

The Slav-cleft: A three-center study of the outcome of treatment of cleft lip and palate. Part 1: Craniofacial morphology.

Results of a comparison of the outcomes of treatment of cleft lip and palate can be affected by growth characteristics of populations from which subjects with the clefts are derived. Moreover, conventional cephalometric techniques used in cleft studies for analysis of facial morphology provide only a partial description of shape and are confounded by biases regarding the reference structures. In this retrospective comparison, craniofacial morphology of preadolescent patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate treated in Warsaw (n = 35, age = 10.6 years, SD = 1.2), Prague (n = 38, age = 11.6 years, SD = 1.4), and Bratislava (n = 26, age = 10.5 years, SD = 1.6) were evaluated on cephalograms with the cephalometric method used in the Eurocleft study and geometric morphometrics. We found that patients treated in Warsaw showed slightly more favorable outcomes than in Prague and Bratislava. The differences were related primarily to the position of maxillary alveolar process, cranial base, mandibular angle, and soft tissues. Although no association between a component of treatment protocol and the outcome was found, it is possible that organizational factors such as participation of high-volume, experienced surgeons contributed to these results.

Nasolabial aesthetics correlates poorly with skeletal symmetry in unilateral cleft lip and palate.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation between symmetry of the craniofacial skeleton and aesthetics of the nose and upper lip in children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (CUCLP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Craniofacial symmetry was evaluated on postero-anterior (PA) cephalograms of 54 children (37 boys and 17 girls; mean age = 11.0 years, SD 1.6) with CUCLP repaired with a one-stage closure (Cleft group). Treated subjects were age- and gender-matched with 54 untreated subjects taken from the University of Michigan Growth Study (Control group). Fourteen coefficients of asymmetry (CAs) were calculated and four angles were measured. Four raters assessed the nasolabial appearance on cropped facial and profile photographs with the 5-grade aesthetic index of Asher-McDade (grade 1 means the most aesthetic and grade 5 the least aesthetical outcome) in the Cleft group only. Independent t-tests were used to evaluate the inter-group differences for CAs. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to examine a relationship between particular components of the aesthetical index and CAs. Multiple regression analyses were carried out to explain the nasolabial aesthetics on the basis of craniofacial symmetry. RESULTS: In the Cleft group, most cephalometric variables demonstrated asymmetry not exceeding 10%. The Cleft and Control groups differed regarding three angular measurements (Se, Ism, and ANS) and 1 CA (Mo-V). Three of the four nasolabial components demonstrated correlation with some cephalometric variables. However, the correlation coefficients were low (range: -0.309 to 0.305). CONCLUSIONS: There is a weak correlation between craniofacial skeletal symmetry and aesthetics of the nose and upper lip in children with CUCLP.