Efficiency of bimaxillary advancement surgery in increasing the volume of the upper airways: a systematic review of observational studies and meta-analysis.

Postsurgical changes of the airways have become a great point of interest because it has been reported that maxillomandibular advancement surgery can improve or eliminate obstructive sleep apnea; however, its treatment effectiveness is still controversial. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of maxillomandibular advancement surgery to increase upper airway volume in adults, comparing before and after treatment. Bibliographic searches of observational studies with no restriction of year or language were performed in the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect and SciELO for articles published up to April 2015. After verification of duplicate records, 1860 articles were examined. Of these, ten met the eligibility criteria, of which three were excluded for having poor methodological quality. The other seven articles were included in the systematic review and six in the meta-analysis, representing 83 patients. One study whose data were not given in absolute values was excluded from the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the averages of upper airway volume before and after surgery {7.86 cm3 [95 % CI (6.22, 9.49), p = 1.00)}. Clinical evidence suggests that the upper airway volume is increased after maxillomandibular advancement surgery.

Determination of vertical characteristics with different cephalometric measurements.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze a possible correlation between different measures in the definition of vertical facial types. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an analytical observational study about 95 lateral teleradiographs of Caucasian individuals with normal occlusion, of which 54 were male (56.84%) and 41 female (43.16%), aged between 15 years and 2 months old and 21 years and 4 months old. Facial types were divided into dolichofacial, mesofacial, and brachyfacial, according to the standards established by different authors. A relationship between these measurements was verified using total agreement analysis and the Kappa method, with the interpretation suggested by Landis and Koch. RESULTS: Kappa was considered fair for Jarabak X VERT (0.22 and 60%) and slight for Jarabak X SN. GoGn (0.06 and 36.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Cephalometric studies often present different interpretations on the description of vertical facial types. In this study, the lowest agreement was between Jarabak and SN.GoGn. Such difference in interpretation may lead to distinct therapeutic approaches and thus different results.

Agreement between orthodontists in the diagnosis of sagittal facial patterns / Concordância de ortodontistas no diagnóstico dos padrões sagitais da face

The cephalometric analysis has assisted orthodontics in describing face features in terms of numbers/angles, but these results are not always consistent with ideal individual patterns. Some orthodontists have made use of subjective analysis as an auxiliary method in the diagnosis; however, the consistency of the reproducibility of these methods has been questioned. Hence, this study aimed to verify whether the diagnosis of sagittal facial patterns can be accomplished with a reliable reproduction. This is an analytical observational study including an initial sample of 120 teleradiographs and 120 photographs in lateral norm of patients from the Graduate Program in Dentistry, Faculty of Health of the Methodist University of São Paulo. First, a previously calibrated examiner separated the photographs into three Sagittal Facial Patterns (Pattern I, II and III). Thus, it was obtained three groups comprising 45 photographs for the Pattern I; 45 photographs for the Pattern II and 30 photographs for the Pattern III. After this initial selection, the cephalometric analysis of 120 teleradiographs was performed using measurements of ANB and SN-GoGn angles. From this second analysis, it was selected only the photographs in which the result of subjective analysis matched the cephalometric analysis, totalizing a final sample size of 52 photographs. These 52 photographs were separated and set on an album to be reassessed by 19 orthodontists, in order to observe or not an agreement between the facial patterns among professionals. The kappa test analyzed the level of agreement of 19 professionals in relation to the cephalometric reference. The degree of agreement between professional judgment and cephalometry was found to be 73.08%, and the result of the kappa test was 0.59 (moderate agreement). Taken together, the accuracy in the diagnosis of facial pattern by means of subjective facial analysis demonstrates that the subjective method is reliable for clinical use.

A análise cefalométrica auxiliou a ortodontia a descrever numericamente as características da face, mas nem sempre estes resultados condizem com os padrões individuais ideais. Alguns ortodontistas utilizam análises subjetivas como método auxiliar no diagnóstico, porém a reprodução do método é discutida. Sendo assim, o trabalho objetiva verificar se o diagnóstico do Padrão sagital da face é possível de ser realizado com reprodução confiável. Trata-se de um estudo observacional analítico com uma amostra inicial de 120 telerradiografias e 120 fotografias em norma lateral de pacientes pertencentes ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Odontologia da Faculdade da Saúde da Universidade Metodista de São Paulo. Primeiramente, um avaliador, previamente treinado, separou as fotografias nos Três Padrões sagitais da face (Padrão I, II e III). Dessa forma obtiveram-se três grupos compostos por 45 fotografias no Padrão I; 45 fotografias no Padrão II e 30 fotografias no Padrão III. Após essa seleção inicial foi realizado a análise cefalométrica das 120 telerradiografias desses pacientes utilizando as medidas dos ângulos ANB e SN.GoGn. A partir dessa segunda análise foram selecionadas apenas as fotografias em que o resultado da análise subjetiva coincidiu com a análise cefalométrica resultando em um novo número amostral final de 52 fotografias. Estas 52 fotografias foram separadas e montadas em um álbum para serem reavaliadas por 19 ortodontistas com o intuito de observar ou não a concordância dos Padrões Faciais entre os profissionais. Para a análise de dados utilizou-se o Teste Kappa com o intuito de analisar o nível de concordância dos 19 profissionais com a referência cefalométrica. Dessa forma, o grau de concordância entre a avaliação profissional e a cefalometria encontrado foi de 73,08% sendo o resultado do Teste Kappa de 0,59 - considerado moderado. Conclui-se que existe exatidão no diagnóstico do padrão facial por meio da analise subjetiva da face, o que demonstra que este método subjetivo é confiável para a utilização na prática clínica.

Assessment of torque angle of brackets from different brands

To measure torque angle values of brackets designed for canines, comparing it to their prescription values. METHODS: One hundred and sixty maxillary -2o and mandibular -11o canine brackets of Roth prescription from the following brands were selected: Abzil, Eurodonto, Morelli and Ormco. The brackets were set in wax and images were obtained by scanning. Reference points were determined over these images, lines drawn and the torque angle was measured. The Student's t-test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used at a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: For maxillary canine brackets, the medium torque angle values were: Abzil -0.93o ± 0.88o; Eurodonto 0.13o ± 0.34o; Morelli -2.56o ± 0.50o, and Ormco -1.16o ± 1.27o. For mandibular canine brackets, the values were: Abzil -11.76o ± 0.40o; Eurodonto -10.40o ± 0.25o; Morelli -11.18o ± 0.56o, and Ormco -11.36o ± 0.30o. For maxillary canine brackets, the brands Abzil, Morelli, and Ormco presented statistically diferente values from those indicated for prescription. For mandibular canine brackets, the brands Abzil, Eurodonto, and Ormco presented statistically different values from the prescribed ones. CONCLUSIONS: Some marketed brands present differences between the torque angle found in the brackets and those recommended in the prescription. However, these differences are clinically acceptable...

Enamel acid etching: a review.

Bonding to enamel has over 50 years of history. Efforts have been made to develop or introduce a simplified alternative, but enamel acid etching remains the most effective procedure for stable enamel bonding. Although acid etching is considered the most popular procedure in dentistry, there are characteristics that deserve special attention because of how crucial they can be in many clinical situations. This article reviews some of these aspects of enamel bonding using the acid-etching technique.

Direct composite resin restorations in posterior teeth.

Direct adhesive composite resin restorations are being used extensively. A proper understanding of the technique and its indications has contributed to the widespread use of this restorative approach. Recent industrial developments brought novel technologies to dentistry including the introduction of nanofillers to the restorative procedures. This article reviews some features of this new type of composite resin, discusses its advantages over other materials, and presents an application technique for restoration of posterior teeth through a clinical case report.