Correlation between occlusal abnormalities and parameters investigated by three-dimensional facial photography.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify, by three-dimensional (3D) facial scans, if 4- to 6-year-old children with intraoral sagittal discrepancies and open-bite occlusion show differences in facial morphology when compared to children without anomalies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Scans of 290 children presenting with occlusal abnormalities were compared to 1772 face scans of age-matched individuals photographed with a faceSCAN II® 3D data acquisition system. From these, three study groups were formed comprising 188 children with distal occlusion/increased overjet (Class II), 37 with mesial occlusion/inverse overjet (Class III), and 65 with open-bite occlusion. These groups were evaluated by age and gender for each group compared to the control individuals. RESULTS: The Class II group showed statistically significant reduced dimensions of head width, upper face width, and midface length. In addition, the mean values for mouth width and lip thickness were higher, and their upper lips were located more anteriorly than in the control group. The Class III group exhibited more markedly retruded upper lips. The facial profile of female 5-year-old Class III patients was significantly more concave. Patients in the open-bite group showed reduced upper lip length, with differences only being statistically significant in male 4-year-olds. CONCLUSION: Dental Class II with increased overjet and dental Class III with decreased overjet influence soft tissue morphology and are represented on 3D facial scans.

Orthodontic findings in 4- to 6-year-old kindergarten children from southwest Germany.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this epidemiologic study was to make basic data available on the age dependence of malocclusions and their developmental tendency in 4- to 6-year-old kindergarten children so as to define the optimum time to start early treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study 2015 kindergarten children (1048 male, 967 female) aged between 4 and 6 years were examined and divided into three age groups. The anteroposterior, transverse and vertical occlusion of the anterior and posterior teeth was assessed and analyzed. RESULTS: Increased overjets and open bites showed significant self-regulation with increasing age. There were no significant differences among the age groups with regard to anteroposterior and transverse occlusion of the posterior teeth. Only mesioclusion deteriorated with increasing age. According to statistical analysis of the findings, 61.6% of the 4-year-olds, 58.4% of the 5-year-olds and 50.9% of the 6-year-old children had one or two malocclusions. CONCLUSION: As increased overjets and open bites often diminish spontaneously with increasing age, it is sufficient to start treating these malocclusions at the end of 5 years of age once dysfunctions have been eliminated. This in turn enhances children's ability to cooperate and reduces the duration of their early treatment.

Early treatment to correct Class III relations with or without face masks.

OBJECTIVE: To determine what therapeutic effects can be expected in the case of early treatment of Class III relations with removable appliances with or without face masks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records available at the university clinic of Tübingen for 41 patients who had undergone early treatment because of prognathic abnormalities were retrospectively evaluated. Lateral cephalograms taken and casts obtained at baseline and at the end of early treatment were included in the analysis. Two treatment strategies were compared. The first group included removable functional orthopedic appliances only (FOA group), while the second group was treated with removable appliances and with face masks mounted on a cemented maxillary expansion appliance (face mask group). RESULTS: Positive changes were achieved in both groups for overjet (FOA group: +1.3 mm; face mask group: +2.2 mm) and Wits values (FOA group: +0.4 mm; face mask group: 1.7 mm). Moreover, a change in mean ANB values was achieved in the face mask group (+0.9 degrees ). The FOA group exhibited a reduction in mandibular angles. Changes in maxillary inclination with reduced inclination angles led to increases in overjet and overbite. The face mask group showed dorsal rotation of the mandible with reduced SNB values (-0.8 degrees ). CONCLUSION: Early treatment of prognathism is a meaningful option, as demonstrated by the dentoskeletal (and hence functional) improvements observed in the present study.