Remodelling of the palatal dome following rapid maxillary expansion (RME): laser scan-quantifications during a low growth period.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate changes in the palatal vault after rapid maxillary expansion (RME) with bonded splint appliances. SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION: The sample comprised 24 children (12 boys and 12 girls) with mixed dentition (mean age 8.3 years; range 6.4-10.4 years). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following expansion, the splint appliance was used as a retainer for 6 months and then removed. Study casts were taken before RME (T0) and when the appliance was removed (T1). Then, 3D laser scans were taken to build complete 3D jaw models. Frontal cross sections were constructed at 53-63, 55-65 and 16-26, exported as coordinates, and finite element calculated to quantify their area, width and height. Maxillary length was also determined. RESULTS: Paired t-tests indicated statistically significant increases in the average palatal width (T1-T0=6.53-6.79 mm) and cross-sectional area (T1-T0=20.39-21.39 mm2) after RME (p<0.001). However, small but statistically significant reductions were observed in palatal height (T1-T0=-0.49 mm, only at 55-65; p<0.001) and length (T1-T0=-0.54 mm; p<0.01). Linear regression analysis showed statistically significant (p<0.001) direct correlations between the widths and respective cross-sectional areas. Age did not influence any measurement. The reliability of the measurements was examined with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). We found an ICC>0.99 (p<0.001) for all tested parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid maxillary expansion distinctly increased mean palatal widths and cross-sectional areas. However, palatal height (55-65) and maxillary length decreased to a small extent.

Rapid maxillary expansion screws on the test bench--a pilot study.

In order to apply high, short-term forces during rapid maxillary expansion (RME) to the sutures of the maxilla with minimum loss of force and without causing unwanted side-effects (dentoalveolar tipping, etc.), the appliance should be as rigid as possible. The retention arms of the RME screws, representing a particularly vulnerable and stressed weak point of RME appliances, were the focus of this laboratory technical study. Retention arms of 16 types of RME screws comprising four arms and one with eight arms were examined using a three-point bending test. According to their ability to absorb the applied bending loads, the screws were classified in product groups from 1 (highest) to 6 (lowest). Fifteen of the tested retention arms (stainless steel), despite having the same diameter (1.48-1.49 mm), differed up to 69.81 per cent between the highest (288.0 N) and lowest (169.6 N) maximum force parameters and up to 66.40 per cent between the highest (3325.9 N/mm(2)) and lowest (1998.7 N/mm(2)) maximum bending stress parameters. Due to optimum formability, though reduced rigidity, a titanium screw for nickel-sensitive patients (group 6) displayed the lowest force and bending tension values. The stainless steel double arms of the eight-arm screw device welded on both ends displayed the highest force data. The mean ductilities of the groups with the most and least rigid single steel arms differed by 22.77 per cent. Statistical analysis using the Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significant indirect correlation between ductility and both maximum force (r = -0.780, P < 0.001) and maximum bending stress (r = -0.778, P < 0.001). The SUPERscrews, the Tiger Dental four-arm screw (group 1), and the eight-arm screw displayed the highest capacity to absorb an applied bending load. The screws in groups 3-6 appear acceptable for RME during the pre-pubertal period, whereas in the pubertal and post-pubertal period, groups 1 and 2 are sufficient. In early adulthood only the screws in group 1 and especially the eight-arm screw seem advisable, as mechanical demands increase with age.

Comparative bond strength of new and reconditioned brackets and assessment of residual adhesive by light and electron microscopy.

An average rate of bracket loss of between 4.7 and 6 per cent is to be expected in daily clinical orthodontic practice during a typical 2 year treatment period. For reasons of economy, detached brackets are commonly reattached after sandblasting to remove adhesive, or replaced with used brackets reconditioned by specialist companies. In the present study, sandblasting and specialist bracket-reconditioning procedures were systematically compared by comparative shear testing of rebonded, reconditioned, and new brackets (n = 160) using light- and chemically cured adhesives. Statistical analysis was carried out with Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. The mean bond strength of reconditioned brackets was, in each case, lower than that of new brackets, with the lowest value obtained with sandblasted brackets. This nevertheless exceeded the minimum recommended value of 5-8 MPa. Bond strength was generally higher with chemically than with light-curing adhesive; the chemically curing adhesive provided bond strength on previously bonded enamel higher than the light-curing adhesive on intact teeth. Consistent with this, the results of the adhesive remnant index (ARI) demonstrated improved bonding with the chemically curing than the light-curing adhesive to the bracket base. Despite resulting in a weaker bond strength compared with new brackets, sandblasting brackets accidentally detached during orthodontic treatment will generally allow effective reattachment to be achieved. Bond strength can be improved with the use of a chemically cured adhesive. Used brackets reconditioned by specialist companies provide a second alternative to new brackets and higher bond strengths than sandblasted brackets.

In vitro release of phosphoric acid ester from self-etching primer.

Self-etching primers have simplified the process of direct bonding of dental resins, by eliminating the rinsing step after etching in conventional bonding, for example. Although it is generally assumed that all of the applied self-etching primer is incorporated into the resin, the possibility that a substantial amount remains free and extractable into a person's saliva has not been investigated. The aim of the present study was to examine this issue by bonding brackets to extracted teeth with self-etching primers under controlled conditions and determining the proportion of the applied phosphoric acid ester that is subsequently extractable by high-performance liquid chromatography. Approximately half of the applied acid ester was extractable and thus not integrated into the polymeric network following standard light curing. This was reduced to 40% when the curing time was doubled. Acid ester leaching was a rapid process that was essentially completed within an hour.