Objective: To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the quarantine in orthodontic appointments, and patients' anxiety and concerns about their ongoing orthodontic treatment. Settings and sample population: Patients from private dental clinics of two orthodontists that were undergoing active orthodontic treatment. Material and methods: An online anonymous questionnaire regarding their anxiety about the coronavirus situation, availability/acceptance to attend an appointment, among others, was answered by orthodontic patients. Descriptive statistics with percentages was performed and responses were compared between sexes, cities, and association of the feelings/level of anxiety of patients and willingness to attend an appointment were performed with chi-square, independent t test, one-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests. Results: The questionnaire was answered by 354 patients (231 female; 123 male) with mean age of 35.49 years. Most patients are respecting the quarantine, 44.7% related to be calm and 46.3% afraid or anxious. The level of anxiety was greater for females than males. There was significant association of the level of anxiety and the willingness to attend an appointment. The greatest concern of patients was delay in the end of treatment. Conclusion: The quarantine and coronavirus pandemic showed to have impact on orthodontic appointments and patients' anxiety. Patients willing to attend an orthodontic appointment presented significantly lower level of anxiety than patients that would not go or would go only in urgency/emergency. Females were more anxious than males about coronavirus pandemic, quarantine and impact on their orthodontic treatments. Delay in treatment was the greatest concern of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Objective This survey aimed to assess the effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on elective and urgency/emergency dental care and dentists concerned. Materials and Methods A web-based survey was performed using Google forms questionnaire sent to dentists in Brazil. Questions included: personal information, type of dental care provided during quarantine, if emergencies increased, the dental office biosafety routine, among others. The levels of concern about the impact of quarantine on dental care and patient oral health conditions and the economic impact on dental practices were evaluated using a 0- to 10-point scale. Statistical analysis included descriptive, percentages, one-way ANOVA, Tukey, and chi-square tests. Results During quarantine, 64.6% of the dentists attended only urgency/emergency treatments, while 26.1% maintained routine appointments, and 9.3% closed the dental offices. A higher percentage of dentists from the least affected states continued routine dental treatment; dentists were younger and presented a significantly lower level of concern about dental treatments and oral health conditions of their patients. An increase in urgency/emergency procedures was reported by 44.1% of the dentists, mostly due to the unavailability of routine/elective dental care and increased patient anxiety and stress. The main causes of urgency/emergency appointments were toothache, dental trauma, and broken restorations, besides the breakage of orthodontic appliances and temporomandibular disorders. Dentists reported a high level of concern about the economic impact caused by quarantine. Conclusions The pandemic/quarantine has negatively affected the clinical routine. Personal protection/hygiene care must be adopted and reinforced by dental professionals/staff to make dental procedures safer.

Objective:The aim of this study was to assess the possible factors associated to root resorption, common to daily clinical orthodontics, especially parafunctional habits.Methods:A retrospective study of 600 patients (308 females and 292 males) previously treated orthodontically was conducted. The sample was divided into two groups related to the degree of root resorption at the ending of treatment according to Malmgren. Group 1 comprised 507 patients with a mean initial age of 14.21 years and who had absent or mild final external root resorption, characterized by grades 0, 1 and 2 of root resorption; Group 2 comprised 93 patients with initial mean age of 14.57 years and who had moderate or severe root resorption, characterized by grade 3 and 4. The groups were then compared in terms of age at the beginning and ending of the treatment, treatment time, gender, type of treatment (with and without extractions), parafunctional habits (bruxism, onychophagia, the habit of biting objects, tongue thrusting habit and thumb sucking habit), allergies and pretreatment root resorption.Results:The results show that the initial age, gender, type of malocclusion, parafunctional habits and allergies do not represent a statistically significant risk of root resorption.Conclusion:Treatment time and type (with and without extractions) and the presence of external root resorption at the beginning of the treatment showed significant differences.

Introduction The present study aimed to evaluate the most common urgencies and emergencies in orthodontics during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to assess how orthodontists in Brazil were dealing with patients and challenges. Methods Early in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world, routine dental care was suspended in many countries, and only patients needing urgent or emergency care could be seen. During this period, orthodontists in Brazil were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. Over 48 hours (May 1-3, 2020), 395 orthodontists (specialists, MScs, and PhDs) responded. They answered questions regarding dental office and appointments during the pandemic, the type of urgency or emergency care provided, the type of appliance and urgencies, etc. The level of concern about the impact of the pandemic on patients' orthodontic treatments and the financial impact on the dental office was also evaluated. Descriptive statistics were performed with percentages, and responses were compared between specialists, MScs, and PhDs, using chi-square tests. Results Specialists were the majority of respondents. Most orthodontists were handling only emergencies or urgencies. The most frequent urgencies were bracket breakage, archwire breakage, and breakage of molar tubes and/or bands. Stainless steel fixed appliances were the most common type of appliance related to unscheduled appointments. The majority of patients got in touch with the orthodontist using the professional WhatsApp messenger (WhatsApp Inc, Menlo Park, Calif). Orthodontists were more concerned with the financial impact of the pandemic than with the orthodontic treatment itself. Conclusions Breakage of brackets, archwires, or tubes and/or bands were the most common causes of urgency and/or emergency appointments during the pandemic. The level of concern about the financial impact of the stay-at-home orders and the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly greater for specialists and MScs than for PhDs.

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Objective: To evaluate the smile attractiveness of different gingival zeniths by general dentists, orthodontists and laypersons and the esthetic perception in the symmetric and asymmetric changes in gingival zeniths. Methods: Posed photographs of five patients were taken and digitally manipulated in Keynote software, in the gingival zenith region, in increments of 0.5 to 1mm in maxillary central and lateral incisors, symmetrically and asymmetrically, in nine different ways for each patient. The photos were then uploaded to a website, where evaluators (general dentists, orthodontists and laypersons) could observe and vote according to their esthetic perception, scoring from 1 to 10, 1 being the least attractive and 10 the more attractive. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used for comparison. Results: Asymmetric gingival zeniths were less attractive than symmetrical gingival zeniths; gingival zenith differences greater than 1mm were perceptible in the smile attractiveness, both by laypersons, general dentists and orthodontists. When comparing maxillary central incisors with maxillary lateral incisors, the aesthetic change performed in the central incisors are more perceptible than those performed in lateral incisors, both symmetrical and asymmetrical. In a general way, orthodontists and general dentists are more critical in the evaluation and perception of gingival zenith changes, with the laypersons perceiving this change only from 1mm of maxillary right central incisor asymmetrical change. Conclusions: Asymmetric gingival zeniths are less attractive than symmetrical ones. Gingival zenith differences greater than 1mm are perceptible in the smile attractiveness. Orthodontists and general dentists are more critical in evaluating smile esthetics.

Objective: To evaluate the use of facemasks by the Brazilian population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 1277 participants who answered a web-based open survey with questions about the use of facemasks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics with percentages was performed, and the responses were analyzed with chi-square and independent t-tests. Results: A total of 1277 answered the questionnaire, and most participants were female (81.8%). Almost all the participants (99.1%) reported wearing facemasks, and 34.2% are wearing just because it is mandatory; 65.8% would continue to wear masks even if it was not mandatory. Most subjects (50.4%) believe that masks' use effectively prevents infection by the novel coronavirus. Reusable fabric facemasks are the most used by the participants (49.5%). Almost all subjects were wearing masks to go to crowded and public places. Most respondents (67.3%) are bothered with the use of facemasks, and the most cited reason for the discomfort was feeling trapped or suffocated (58.9%). Discussion: The use of facemasks can help prevent the COVID-19, but it is most effective at reducing the spread of the virus when the general population's compliance is high. Some factors that limit the population's compliance with the use of masks are discomfort and a sense of embarrassment. Media campaigns and public health promotion activities supported by governmental agencies can increase the use of facemasks by the population. Conclusion: The mean level of anxiety with the COVID-19 pandemic was 6.18. Almost all the participants were wearing facemasks, and they believe that its use effectively prevents infection by the novel coronavirus. Reusable fabric facemasks are the most used by the participants. Almost all subjects were wearing masks to go to crowded and public places. The great majority of the participants feel more protected with the use of facemasks.

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