The influence of resin infiltration pretreatment on orthodontic bonding to demineralized human enamel

Prior research reveal that low-viscosity resin is able to significantly penetrate initial caries lesions, which leads to their stabilization. The objective of the present report is to assess the shear bond strength (SBS) of orthodontic brackets bonded with different adhesives to demineralized enamel treated with a low-viscosity resin infiltrant. It also aims to compare the achieved bond strengths to those achieved in relation to sound enamel (SE). A total of 48 newly extracted third molars were collected, distributed in four groups (n=12), covered with a nail varnish, with 4 x 4 mm of uncoated area, immersed in Buskes demineralizing solution (14 days, 37 °C) or remained untreated. Group I: SE + Transbond XT; Group II: demineralized enamel (DE) + ICON + Transbond XT; Group III: DE + ICON + Scotchbond Universal; Group IV: DE + ICON + Assure PLUS. SBS was quantified in megapascals (MPa) and statistically analyzed (ANOVA, p 0.05). The mode of failure was assessed microscopically (10 x magnification). The highest SBS detected was in Group IV, and the difference was statistically significant (F = 14.37; p = 0.000). Treatment with a resin infiltrant on DE does not impair the shear bond strength when compared to SE, although it does produce a significantly higher strength when combined with Assure PLUS

Bracket bonding to polymethylmethacrylate-based materials for computer-aided design/manufacture of temporary restorations: influence of mechanical treatment and chemical treatment with universal adhesives

Objective To assess shear bond strength and failure mode (Adhesive Remnant Index, ARI) of orthodontic brackets bonded to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) blocks for computer-aided design/manufacture (CAD/CAM) fabrication of temporary restorations, following substrate chemical or mechanical treatment. Methods Two types of PMMA blocks were tested: CAD-Temp® (VITA) and Telio® CAD (Ivoclar-Vivadent). The substrate was roughened with 320-grit sandpaper, simulating a fine-grit diamond bur. Two universal adhesives, Scotchbond Universal Adhesive (SU) and Assure Plus (AP), and a conventional adhesive, Transbond XT Primer (XTP; control), were used in combination with Transbond XT Paste to bond the brackets. Six experimental groups were formed: (1) CADTemp®/SU; (2) CAD-Temp®/AP; (3) CAD-Temp®/XTP; (4) Telio® CAD/SU; (5) Telio® CAD/AP; (6) Telio® CAD/XTP. Shear bond strength and ARI were assessed. On 1 extra block for each PMMA-based material surfaces were roughened with 180-grit sandpaper, simulating a normal/medium-grit (100 mm) diamond bur, and brackets were bonded. Shear bond strengths and ARI scores were compared with those of groups 3, 6. Results On CAD-Temp® significantly higher bracket bond strengths than on Telio® CAD were recorded. With XTP significantly lower levels of adhesion were reached than using SU or AP. Roughening with a coarser bur resulted in a significant increase in adhesion. Conclusions Bracket bonding to CAD/CAM PMMA can be promoted by grinding the substrate with a normal/medium-grit bur or by coating the intact surface with universal adhesives. With appropriate pretreatments, bracket adhesion to CAD/CAM PMMA temporary restorations can be enhanced to clinically satisfactory levels

3D printed customized facemask for maxillary protraction in the early treatment of a Class III malocclusion: proof-of-concept clinical case

In order to improve fit and comfort, a maxillary protraction facemask customized to the patient’s anatomy was produced by means of 3D face scanning, digital design and additive manufacturing. An 8-year-old patient in need of early treatment for the Class III malocclusion received a rapid palatal expander and a Petit-type facemask, whose components were digitally designed on a 3D scan of the patient’s face. For face scanning, the iPad Pro 2018 tablet (Apple, Cupertino, CA, USA) with the Bellus3D DentalPro application (Bellus3D, Campbell, CA, USA) was used. Facemask components were modelled with 3D Blender software. The rests were 3D printed in BioMed Clear biocompatible resin (Formlabs, Somerville, MA, USA), and the bar in stainless steel. For greater comfort, the internal surface of the rests was lined with a polymer gel pad (Silipos, Niagara Falls, NY, USA). The manufacturing procedure of the customized facemask is patented. The patient wore the facemask at night for a period of 9 months. The patient’s experience was evaluated with a questionnaire at 1 week, 3, 6, and 10 months of treatment. The customized facemask was well accepted by the patient and obtained the expected treatment outcome. Furthermore, 3D face scanning, 3D modelling and 3D printing allow for the manufacturing of customized facemasks with improved fit and comfort, favoring patient compliance and treatment success. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Insight in cognitive impairment assessed with the Cognitive Assessment Interview in a large sample of patients with schizophrenia

The Cognitive Assessment Interview (CAI) is an interview-based scale measuring cognitive impairment and its impact on functioning in subjects with schizophrenia (SCZ). The present study aimed at assessing, in a large sample of SCZ (n = 601), the agreement between patients and their informants on CAI ratings, to explore patients' insight in their cognitive deficits and its relationships with clinical and functional indices. Agreement between patient- and informant-based ratings was assessed by the Gwet's agreement coefficient. Predictors of insight in cognitive deficits were explored by stepwise multiple regression analyses. Patients reported lower severity of cognitive impairment vs. informants. A substantial to almost perfect agreement was observed between patients' and informants' ratings. Lower insight in cognitive deficits was associated to greater severity of neurocognitive impairment and positive symptoms, lower severity of depressive symptoms, and older age. Worse real-life functioning was associated to lower insight in cognitive deficit, worse neurocognitive performance, and worse functional capacity. Our findings indicate that the CAI is a valid co-primary measure with the interview to patients providing a reliable assessment of their cognitive deficits. In the absence of informants with good knowledge of the subject, the interview to the patient may represent a valid alternative

Children as superheroes: designing playful 3D-printed facemasks for maxillofacial disorders

The paper describes a Human-Centred Design approach to developing customised facemasks for the orthopaedic correction of Class III malocclusions in children. The effectiveness of facemask therapy critically depends on patient’s compliance with the recommended wear time, possibly ranging between 14- 24 hours a day, over a time span of at least 9 months. Commercial facemasks are unaesthetic, uncomfortable and cause irritations due to the direct contact of plastic on the skin (Stocker et al., 2016). The research project SuperPowerMe develops a custom-made facemask to make the impact of the therapeutic intervention more sustainable in a critical stage of the physical and psychological child development. Differently from commercial facemasks, SuperPowerMe is composed of 3D-printable biocompatible materials which make the device comfortable and customisable. SuperPowerMe adopts a gamification approach (Birk et al.,2016): a smartphone application provides games of increasing challenge where a superhero avatar wearing a facemask akin to the one worn by the child gains power fighting against monsters and other characters. An ergonomic customised prototype facemask has been developed and will be soon tested at the Careggi Hospital in Florence, Italy

Reproducibility of measurements in tablet-assisted, PC-aided, and manual cephalometric analysis.

2reservedmixedGoracci C; Ferrari MGoracci, Cecilia; Ferrari, Marc

Accuracy, reliability, and efficiency of intraoral scanners for full-arch impressions: A systematic review of the clinical evidence

Objectives: The interest on intraoral scanners for digital impressions has been growing and new devices are continuously introduced on the market. It is timely to verify whether the several scanners proposed for full-arch digital impressions have been tested under clinical conditions for validity, repeatability, reproducibility, as well as for time efficiency, and patient acceptance. Search methods: An electronic search of the literature was conducted through PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase, entering the query terms 'digital impression', 'intraoral digital impression', 'intraoral scanning', 'intraoral scanner', 'intraoral digital scanner', combined by the Boolean operator 'OR'. No language or time limitation was applied. Selection criteria: Only studies where digital full-arch impressions had been recorded intraorally were considered. Results: In only eight studies full-arch scans had been performed intraorally. Only four studies reported data on validity, repeatability, reproducibility of digital measurements and their samples were limited to subjects in complete permanent dentition. Only two intraoral scanners, Lava COS and iTero, were tested. Scanning times were measured in six studies and varied largely. Patients' acceptance of intraoral scanning was evaluated in four studies, but it was not specifically assessed for children. Conclusions: The scientific evidence so far collected on intraoral scanning is neither exhaustive, nor up-to-date. Data from full-arch scans performed in children should be collected. For a meaningful assessment of time efficiency, agreement should be reached on the procedural steps to be included in the computation of scanning time