This is a report of an exploratory study of how the hormone relaxin might modulate the remodeling of connective tissue within the craniofacial sutures and periodontal tissues. Relaxin is a hormone that was discovered to be produced by the pregnant female. It is responsible for the relaxing of the pubic symphysis; the birth canal is widened for parturition. It has also been shown to have effects on other areas of the body, including ligaments and regions containing collagen and fibroblastic activity. Twenty-one Swiss retired-breeder mice were used to: 1) immunohistochemically demonstrate the presence of relaxin within the sutures; 2) demonstrate its effects on the integrity of the suture-like tissues; and 3) assay its effects on protease activity. Relaxin in concentrations of 250 and 500 ng/ml was used in the treated samples and allowed to incubate in complete tissue culture for 24 h. The results indicate the presence of relaxin within the cranial suture. Histological observations revealed definite changes in the collagen fibril arrangement in the PDL - from being dense and highly organized with a perpendicular direction between tooth and bone to randomly organized and loose, lacking any direction between tooth and bone. An elevation in the protease activity was evident in the relaxin-treated samples. This naturally occurring hormone might be used as an adjunct to orthodontic therapy as it appears to have the capacity to alter the physical properties of the connective tissue within sutures, gingival tissue, and the PDL. Potential indications for use include instances of sutural and soft tissue adaptation of orthopedic expansion in non-growing patients by a reduction in the tension of the stretched soft tissue envelope following orthognathic surgery (particularly the expanded palatal mucosa), periodontal ligament remodeling during or after tooth movement promoting stability, rapid gingival tissue remodeling during space closure in extraction sites, and by a decrease in the amount of scar tissue formation following frenectomies.
Correction of deep-bite malocclusions with aligners is challenging for orthodontists. This review is intended to help orthodontists improve their clinical success in treating deep-bite malocclusions with aligners. Virtual case setup, attachment design, elastics, and bite ramp utilization are discussed in order to better equip orthodontists with a new "best practices" paradigm.
Evaluation of the effects of a high-frequency acceleration (HFA) device on patient pain response to orthodontic forces. A multi-centered trial investigating pain sensitivity to orthodontic forces on 75 subjects at 4 study centers. Subjects underwent clear aligner treatment, with or without adjunctive HFA and documented their pain intensity using the validated NRS10 numeric rating scale. In-Office and At-Home ratings were measured separately for each subject for immediate and extended effect evaluations. Use of HFA devices in conjunction with clear aligner orthodontic treatment demonstrated significant reduction in subjects’ recorded pain ratings vs controls within 5 minutes of aligner exchange, (p = 0.006) and significant reduction in recorded pain ratings vs controls over a 7-day period following aligner exchange (p = 0.018). A 99.6% daily compliance rate with at home use of the HFA device was recorded for all subjects in the study. HFA significantly reduces pain attributed to orthodontic force. HFA delivers clinically significant immediate pain relief, and clinically significant extended pain relief over the 7 days following adjustment.
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.