Clinical and radiographic features of pycnodysostosis: A case report.

Pycnodysostosis is a rare disorder that was first described in 1962; however, it was only in 1996 that the defective gene was discovered, which led to a better understanding of this disease. This study reports and discuss a case of pycnodysostosis. In addition, a search of articles published in PubMed-Medline was performed. The case was a 13-year-old girl who was referred to a private clinic for dental treatment. Clinical examination showed midface hypoplasia, prominent cheeks, a high nasal bridge, beaked nose, spoon-shaped fingers, frontal bossing, open fontanelles and dental alterations, findings compatible with pycnodysostosis. Patients with this disease also suffer from fractures because of bone hardness with almost no elasticity, a fact that requires special care particularly in the case of children and adolescents. The diagnosis of pycnodysostosis is made based on clinical and radiographic findings. Clinicians should be aware of this disorder to provide adequate dental treatment. Key words:Pycnodysostosis, developmental bone disease, imaging diagnosis.

Influence of sense of coherence on adolescents' self-perceived dental aesthetics; a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Sense of coherence (SOC) is a psychosocial factor capable of influencing perception of health, improving one's ability to manage life. It is the central construct of salutogenesis. SOC allows for identification and mobilization of resources to effectively manage or solve problems, promoting health and quality of life. Using Wilson-Cleary's conceptual model we hypothesized that SOC might contribute to self-perception of dental aesthetics. The aim of this study was to investigate whether SOC levels were related to self-perception of dental aesthetics against assessed normative orthodontic treatment need among adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 615 male and female adolescents aged 12 to 15 years. Data collection comprised socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics, SOC (SOC 13), self-perceived dental aesthetics (Oral Aesthetic Subjective Impact Scale), and assessment of orthodontic treatment need (Dental Aesthetic Index). Statistical analysis involved Pearson's chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney test and multiple linear regression. Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated for the determination of the strength of correlations among the numerical variables. The level of significance was set at 5% (p < 0.05). RESULTS: 50.1% of the participants were classified as having a high SOC (≥ median). Overall, SOC was associated with self-perceived dental aesthetics (p = 0.048). In the adolescents with no orthodontic treatment need, those with a low SOC perceived their dental aesthetics more negatively than those with high levels of SOC. The multiple regression analysis demonstrated an inverse relationship between SOC and: 1) age (p = 0.007), SOC being higher in the younger age group; 2) self-perceived dental aesthetics (p = 0.001), a higher SOC being associated with those who had a positive dental self-perception. CONCLUSIONS: SOC was associated with self-perceived dental aesthetics and adolescents with a high SOC were more likely to perceive their dental aesthetics more positively. SOC did not seem to influence self-perception of dental aesthetics in adolescents who were clinically assessed as having an orthodontic treatment need, however, in those where there was no orthodontic treatment need, a low SOC was associated with a negative self-perception of dental appearance.

[Prevalence of malocclusion and its association with functional alterations of the stomatognathic system in schoolchildren]. / Prevalência de maloclusão e sua associação com alterações funcionais do sistema estomatognático entre escolares.

The aim of this research was to estimate the prevalence of malocclusion among 12-year-old schoolchildren in Camaragibe, Pernambuco State, Brazil. Malocclusions were stratified by the degree of severity, and their association with alterations of the following functions was also analyzed: speech articulation, respiration, and deglutition. Occlusion was assessed by means of the Treatment Priority Index (TPI) and the functions referred to by means of the criteria used in routine clinical speech therapy by a single calibrated examiner (kappa values ranging from 0.64 to 1.00). Schoolchildren were selected randomly from 11 public schools. Of the 173 selected children, 82.1% presented malocclusion (95%CI: 76.4-87.8), with 38.2% classified as minor manifestations of malocclusion; 20.8% definite malocclusions; 13.3% severe malocclusions; and 9.8% very severe malocclusions. The conclusion was that there is a high repressed demand for orthodontic treatment, and that the greater the severity of the malocclusion, the stronger the possibility of association with functional alterations, which must be taken into consideration when planning appropriate public services for these conditions.