According to the existing high-quality evidence, reminder therapy is a valuable strategy and may contribute to the reduction of plaque and gingival indices as well as to the lower occurrence of white spots in patients subjected to orthodontic treatment.
Most of individual studies suggested a strong correlation between dental development and skeletal maturation, although the association with the peakof pubertal growth spurtwas clearly cited only in some of them. However, due to the high heterogeneity found among the studies included in this meta-analysis, a pragmatic recommendation about the use of dental stages is not possible.
Young patients are increasingly concerned with smile aesthetics, resulting in the early visit to the dental office. It is of great importance that professionals such as orthodontists, pediatric dentists, and general practitioners are aware of the potential changes in positioning and development that may compromise aesthetics, considering they may prevent future complex orthodontic treatments. This case report describes the treatment of a patient aged 9 years and 4 months, who complained at assessment about the size and position of maxillary incisors. Clinically, the patient presented atresic maxilla and eruption of teeth 12 and 22. The poor positioning of tooth 22 alerted for the potential retention of tooth 23. A two-phase treatment was proposed, including an intercepting phase and a corrective phase. In the intercepting phase, rapid maxillary expansion (RME) was performed, which increased the room for eruption of tooth 23 and prevented the collapse of tooth 22. After the activation period, the Haas expander was locked and removed six months later. Twenty-five months after the removal, the second phase started with fixed corrective orthodontics and traction of tooth 23, for which the enamel was drilled and traction was performed using the segmented technique with a 0.019" x 0.025" Titanium Molybdenum Alloy (TMA) cantilever and anchorage in passive transpalatal arch (PTA). The use of this technique minimizes the side effects on the teeth adjacent to tooth 23 and enamel drilling prevents potential losses of the traction device by detachment. After 4 months of segmented mechanics, the devices were removed and the PTA was maintained. Twenty-six months later, the patient was 14 years and 4 months old, presenting direct subdivision Class III molar relationship, upper and lower crowding, and unsatisfactory relationship between bone bases due to the excessive mandibular growth. A new RME was performed, and after 3 months a Capelozza Pattern III fixed appliance was installed in the lower arch. Additionally, an upper fixed appliance was installed after the RME retention period. One year and 4 months later, the appliances were removed and a maxillary Hawley plate was installed with a 0.6-mm fixed mandibular intercanine arch. The follow-up lasted 3 years and 4 months and the results were maintained, preserving the occlusal and facial characteristics.
Improving facial and dental appearance and social interaction are the main factors for special needs (SN) patients to seek orthodontic treatment. The cooperation of SN patients and their parents is crucial for treatment success. Objective. To show through a case report the satisfactory results, both functional and esthetic, in patients with intellectual disability, congenital nystagmus, and severe scoliosis. Materials Used. Pendulum device with mini-implants as anchorage unit. Results. Improvement of facial and dental esthetics, correction of Class II malocclusion, and no root resorption shown in the radiographic follow-up. Conclusion. Knowing the limitations of SN patients, having a trained team, motivating and counting on the cooperation of parents and patients, and employing quick and low-cost orthodontic therapy have been shown to be the essential factors for treatment success.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.