The aims of this investigation were to examine patients' and parents/guardians' motivation for seeking orthodontic treatment and to determine the influence of age and gender in this process. The sample comprised 674 subjects (365 girls and 309 boys) aged 7-18 years and 674 of their parents/guardians, as well as 86 adult patients aged 19-42 years (57 females and 29 males). Similar questionnaires, designed to assess motivation for orthodontic treatment, were completed by all subjects. Statistical analysis was undertaken using Pearson's chi-square test. In the patient groups, a desire to improve aesthetics was the main motivational factor for undergoing treatment. With increasing age, 13 per cent more girls (P = 0.039) were more aware of their malocclusion. The influence of their surroundings on the uptake of treatment decreased with increasing age. Less than 5 per cent of the examined subjects started treatment because other children made fun of them, and only 3 per cent of older patients were motivated by future improvements in health. Between 63 and 67 per cent of parents reported pressurizing their children to seek orthodontic treatment in order to avoid possible future claims of neglect. No statistically significant dependence on gender or age of the children was found. Improvement in dental aesthetics was the principle motivational factor for the children (29-48 per cent), their parents/guardians (54 per cent), and adult patients (55 per cent) seeking orthodontic treatment.

The aim of the investigation was to compare overall and anterior Bolton ratios in different malocclusion groups with Bolton's standards. The material comprised 600 pre-treatment study casts (262 males and 338 females, aged 12-25 years), selected from the models of 3088 patients who had applied for orthodontic treatment based on the following criteria: permanent dentition from the first right molar to the first left molar and no interproximal caries or restorations. There were 162 Class I, 144 Class II division 1, 155 Class II division 2, and 139 Class III patients. Statistical analysis of the data was undertaken using a Student's t-test. Statistically significant differences were found for the mean overall ratio when compared with the original Bolton norm for the whole study group, as well as for patients with Class I and III malocclusions when the mean anterior ratio was compared with the original Bolton norm. Significant differences were observed in all malocclusion groups for both genders. Discrepancies exceeding 2 SD were found in 31.2 per cent of the studied population for the anterior ratio when compared with Bolton's norm. The highest mean values for anterior ratio were in males with Class I (79.1) and Class III (80.1) malocclusions.

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the orthodontic literature to assess the effectiveness of a prediction of outcome of orthodontic treatment in subjects with a Class III malocclusion. A structured search of electronic databases, as well as hand searching, retrieved 232 publications concerning the topic. Following application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 studies remained. Among other data, sample ethnicity, treatment method, age at the start and completion of treatment, age at follow-up, outcome measures, and identified predictors were extracted from the relevant studies. A subjective assessment of study quality was performed. The heterogeneity of the samples and treatment methods prevented carrying out a meta-analysis. Thirty-eight different predictors of treatment outcome were identified: 35 cephalometric and three derived from analysis of study casts. Prediction models comprising three to four predictors were reported in most studies. However, only two shared more than one predictor. Gonial angle was identified most frequently-in five publications. The studies were of low or medium quality. Due to the large variety of predictors and differences among developed prediction models, the existence of a universal predictor of outcome of treatment of Class III malocclusions is questionable.

Early bone grafting results in a larger collapse of the lesser segment than bone grafting carried out between 9 and 12 years of age.

No abstract

Orofacial clefts are common birth defects that affect the morphology of the skull. Cleft palate only (CPO) has a different etiology than other types of clefts, and craniofacial morphology in CPO differs from that of UCLP and BCLP. The long-term effect of the cleft and its surgery is visible after growth cessation. However, few studies exist describing cephalometric craniofacial morphology in adults with CPO. The aim of the present study was to describe the cephalometric craniofacial morphology of adult patients with CPO compared to healthy patients. The study included analysis of cephalometric lateral headfilms of 28 adults with CPO and 28 healthy subjects. It was found that the angles of SNA, ANB, 1-:NB angle (°) and Wits appraisal were significantly smaller in CPO, whereas NL-NSL (°), 1+:NA angle (°) and 1+:NA (mm) had significantly higher values in CPO compared to the control group. It has been concluded that CPO in adult patients is characterized by a sagittal jaw discrepancy due to maxillary deficiency, with a tendency for compensatory inclination of the upper and lower incisors.