Effects of Nasoalveolar Molding Therapy on Alveolar and Palatal Cleft Deformities in Unilateral and Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of nasoalveolar molding (NAM) therapy in the improvement of alveolar and palatal cleft deformity on unilateral (UCLP) versus bilateral (BCLP) cleft lip and palate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 19 UCLP (14 boys and 5 girls) and 8 BCLP (7 boys and 1 girl) infants completed NAM therapy were included in this study. Standardized parameters of cleft width of alveol and palate were measured on photocopies taken from the pre- and post-treatment plaster casts. To assess the intragroup differences, paired-samples test in UCLP and Wilcoxon test in BCLP groups were used. Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate the differences between the groups. RESULTS: Significant decreases in alveolar and palatal cleft gaps were achieved in an average period of 3.3 ±â€Š1.9 and 3.7 ±â€Š1.6 months in UCLP and BCLP patients, respectively. The alveolar cleft decreased 7.85 ±â€Š4.59 mm in UCLP and 4.25 ±â€Š3.13 and 3.81 ±â€Š3.50 mm in right and left alveolar cleft sides in BCLP, respectively. The palatal clefts were decreased 4.63 ±â€Š2.44 mm in medial and 3.72 ±â€Š2.62 mm in posterior parts in UCLP. The decrements in BCLP were 3.00 ±â€Š2.75 mm in medial and 2.88 ±â€Š2.75 mm in posterior palatal cleft distances. No significant differences were determined in the amount of alveolar or palatal cleft closure between UCLP and BCLP groups. The only decrease in arch width was 1.39 mm in medial part of palate in UCLP. CONCLUSION: The NAM device provides significant decreases in both alveolar and palatal cleft deformities in UCLP and BCLP infants, as compared with their birth status.

Assessment of agreement between molar landmarks: Repeatability, reproducibility, and comparability.

INTRODUCTION: The aims of this research were to test the repeatability and reproducibility of measurements obtained by different molar landmarks and to determine whether the treatment changes measured by them are comparable. MATERIALS: Pretreatment (T0) and postdistalization (T1) lateral cephalograms of 40 patients with a Class II molar relationship were used. Using the mesial cusp tip, distal crown contour, and centroid, 6 linear and 3 angular measurements were evaluated. The intraexaminer and interexaminer reliabilities were assessed with the Bland-Altman method. The T0 to T1 differences were compared by analysis of variance, followed by multiple comparisons with the Bonferroni adjustment. RESULTS: The greatest intraexaminer agreement intervals were correlated with centroid for tipping and vertical movement, and with distal crown contour for anteroposterior movement at T0 and T1. The narrowest interexaminer agreement intervals were observed with mesial cusp tip for all measurements and comparisons at both time points, except for the anteroposterior measurements at T1. Statistical significance was observed between the measurements made with mesial cusp tip and distal crown contour for tipping and with mesial cusp tip and centroid for distalization. For vertical movement, the treatment changes were statistically significantly greater with distal crown contour. CONCLUSIONS: Mesial cusp tip was the most repeatable and reproducible landmark. Clinically unimportant differences were found in some comparisons of treatment changes obtained by different landmarks.

Combined fixed-functional treatment of skeletal class II malocclusions with the EVAA appliance: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the skeletal and dental effects of the EVAA appliance with those of an activator appliance in growing children with skeletal Class II anomalies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 34 subjects with Class II anomalies were recruited for this study. They were divided into three groups: the EVAA group (n=13; mean chronological age: 11 years 9 months), activator group (n=13; mean chronological age: 11 years 8 months) and control group (n=8; mean chronological age: 10 years 8 months). Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken at the beginning and end of functional therapy. Fixed orthodontic treatment was completed in the EVAA group. A statistical software program (SPSS 18) was used for one-way analysis of variance and multiple comparisons with the Duncan test. RESULTS: We observed a significant decrease in the ANB, convexity, and 1┴NA (°), while a significant increase appeared in upper anterior facial height, posterior facial height, 1┴NB (mm), SN-lower occlusal plane values in the EVAA and activator groups after treatment (p<0.05). No significant difference in study parameters in the control group during the treatment period except for the increase in SNA and 1┴NA (mm) values (p<0.05) were observed. There were no significant differences between EVAA and activator treatment groups in terms of study parameters except for the articular angle, which was significantly higher in the EVAA group after therapy (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The effects of EVAA appliances were similar to those of activator treatment.

Assessment of hypodontia in the Turkish patients referring to the orthodontic clinic: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the prevalence and distribution of hypodontia in the permanent dentition in a sample of Turkish patients who referred to the Ankara Dental Hospital for orthodontic treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The pre-treatment orthodontic records of 2530 patients, 1382 girls (54.62%) and 1148 boys (45.38%) between the chronological ages of 7 and 16 years, were examined for evidence of hypodontia. The third molars were excluded in this study. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypodontia in the inspected population was 5% (3.05% for girls, 1.95% for boys). The average number of the congenitally missing teeth per patient was 2.03 (1.08 for girls, 0.95 for boys). The prevalence of the congenitally missing permanent teeth was 34% for the upper laterals, 30% for the lower second premolars, 12.5% for the upper second premolars and 23.5% for the other teeth. Most patients with hypodontia (84.9%) (57.13% for girls, 27.77% for boys) had got missing either one tooth (45.23%) or two teeth (39.67%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hypodontia in girls was higher than in boys in this sample of the Turkish patients. The upper laterals and lower second premolars were consecutively the most symmetrically absent teeth. The prevalence of advanced hypodontia was lower than single and symmetrical hypodontia.