Autotransplantation in combination with orthodontic treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Autotransplantation is a surgical method in which a tooth is repositioned within the same patient. It can be described as a controlled reimplantation of an extracted tooth into a new, surgically prepared socket. The key to success of this treatment is the preservation and regeneration of the periodontal ligament. It is an underutilized technique which, if conducted with a multidisciplinary team, can be an ideal treatment option for patients with failing or missing teeth. OBJECTIVES: The detailed clinical procedures, indications for this technique, and the factors affecting its success are discussed.

An evaluation of oral health-related quality of life in orthodontic patients treated with fixed and twin blocks appliances.

OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of orthodontic treatment on the quality of life in two patient groups, one treated with the twin block appliance and the other with fixed appliances. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-eight patients, aged between 10 and 16 years, were recruited in the fixed (20 males and 29 females) or functional (29 males and 20 females) treatment groups. The oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) was measured before treatment and followed up at the end of the treatment. The instrument used to measure OHRQoL was a modified self-administered short version of the English Oral Health Impact profile (OHIP-16[E]) questionnaire. RESULTS: OHRQoL worsened at the initial stages of the treatment. The overall score of OHRQoL reduced significantly at the end of the treatment in both groups. Both groups showed comparable improvements in OHRQoL as the treatment progressed (analysis of variance test P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The OHRQoL patterns, during the treatment with fixed and twin block appliances, were very similar. This suggests that the functional appliance's impact on the QoL may be overestimates by clinicians. OHRQoL improved significantly with both fixed and functional appliances by the end of the treatment. The OHRQoL trends observed during the study can be communicated to patients and used to increase patients' compliance since they are made aware of the whole treatment process.