Clinico-Statistical Study Concerning the use of Classical Orthodontic Appliances Among Orthodontists

Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish a statistics on the contemporary use of classical mobile orthodontic appliances, anchorage means and certain procedures (functional exercises) among orthodontic specialists. Material and Methods: The present study was based on a questionary comprising 15 questions addressed to 55 postgraduate, specialist and senior orthodontists concernig the use of classical orthodontic methods. The questionary was delivered online by means of Google Forms and intermediated by the National Dentists‘ Association of Tirgu Mures, Romania. The sole inclusion criteria was the specialty of orthodontics. Results: 92,7% of the orthodontists use removable appliances (palatal plate with expansion screw), 90,9 % recommend functional exercises (correct palatal tongue placement), 89,1% exploit space maintainers, 87,3% provide lingual cribs for functional reeducation, 80% apply functional devices and the Goshgarian arch as an anchorage method, 72,2% use the Delaire mask and 69,8% the headgear and 58,2 apply the Hawley plate as a contention mean. Conclusions: A very high percentage of resident, specialist and senior doctors utilize classical removable and functional appliances and methods

Interrelationships Between the Posterior Pharyngeal Space and the Dento-Maxillary Anomalies

Introduction: Nocturnal breathing problems have become more common and cause problems during the day for both those affected by this condition and those around them. These problems are caused in most cases by a decrease in the size of the pharyngeal posterior space, which is associated with various abnormalities of the facial skeleton, and the positioning of the tongue. Purpose: The present study has the purpose to determine the existence of a correlation between different facial skeletal abnormalities and the size of the pharyngeal posterior space. Materials and methods: In the present study we performed the analysis of 131 teleradiographs from the database of the department of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics within UMFST “Târgu Mureș” performed on patients in order to perform an orthodontic treatment. Patients range in age from 10 to 21 years. Results: To observe the existence of a link between the median differences in values in the lower pharyngeal space between class I and class II, we used the Mann-Whitney U test to compare median values. Thus, the median value in class I is 0, while the median value in class II is 0.3. It was concluded that this difference is statistically significant (p = 0.02). Conclusion: Patients with skeletal class II have smaller dimensions of the lower pharyngeal space than patients with class I and class III. Patients with skeletal class II have an increased risk compared to those with class I or class III of developing obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome during their lifetime

Comparative Evaluation of Two Bracket Systems’ Bond Strength: Conventional and Self-Ligating

Adhesion remains a key element in dentistry, whether approached in prosthetics, odontology, or orthodontics. It is a continuously researched aspect, as improved materials and adhesive methods keep emerging in the market. No orthodontic treatment can be effective without the proper adhesion strength of the bonded elements on the teeth. The objective of this research, in the broad context of self-ligating versus conventional brackets, was to compare active and passive self-ligating systems with a conventional one by conducting an in vitro study on human-extracted premolars. Shear bond strength tests were executed by means of an advanced materials-testing machine that generated maximum load and tensile strength values. The data obtained underwent statistical analysis with a statistical threshold of p < 0.05. The results regarding the statistical significance were acquired when comparing the passive self-ligating system with the active self-ligating and conventional systems (load-at-maximum-load mean 204.9, SD 91.09, and p < 0.05). In this study, the passive self-ligating bracket system appears to present increased shear bond strength

CLINICO-STATISTICAL STUDIES REGARDING THE FREQUENCY OF SUPERNUMERARY TEETH IN A GROUP OF CHILDREN IN TG. MURES

Supernumerary teeth represent a maxillarry dental anomaly of number, registered in the 1st Angle class. The goal of the authors was to analyze the frequency and the pattern of these anomalies in number in a group of patients who presented for an orthodontic treatment at the Clinic of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry of the Faculty of Dentistry, UMFST Tg. Mures between the years 2015 and 2018 and to establish correlations between this anomaly and other pathologies belonging to the orthodontic field. The analyzed variables included age, gender, health condition, constitution, origin, and the statistical analysis was focused on the following parameters: the affected dentition and arch sector, number of supernumerary teeth and their location, association with other anomalies, onset of complications

THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DENTIST, FROM THE PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Most medical acts have, as a common and necessary element, the communication between the doctor and the patient, which considerably increases the quality of the interaction between them. The patient needs to understand the importance of having the opportunity to talk to the dentist. The present statistical study was conducted on 194 subjects (113 female subjects and 81 male subjects), aged between 20 and 50 years, in two dental practices: one in Alba Iulia and the other in Tg. Mures. The purpose is to determine the patients’ qualities, from the following perspectives: good or poor listener, compliant, obedient, having efficient or inefficient communicating skills. The subjects of the study were asked a set of questions from a questionnaire which highlights the confirmation or dismissal of the proposed objectives. The results will show us to what extent the patients appreciate the opportunity to communicate with the dentist. At the same time, the patients’ qualities which recommend them as participants in an optimal communication process will be highlighted

Comparative Evaluation of Two Bracket Systems’ Kinetic Friction: Conventional and Self-Ligating

Friction is an intensely studied feature in orthodontics, as the sliding mechanics approach remains one of the most utilized techniques in current practice, and the question of whether self-ligating brackets produce less friction than conventional brackets still stands. The objective of this study was to compare a self-ligating system with different closing mechanisms and a conventional system with different ligating mechanisms regarding their frictional properties. Laboratory measurements were performed using an advanced materials testing machine generating tensile strength and load at maximum Load values, which were statistically analyzed and compared. These two parameters have been associated with the frictional resistance generated at the archwire–bracket slot interface. Statistically significant results were obtained when comparing the active self-ligating brackets with the passive self-ligating (tensile strength mean 1.953, SD 0.4231; load at maximum moad mean 6.000, SD 1.3000) and conventional brackets (tensile strength mean 1.953, SD 0.4231; load at maximum load mean 6.000, SD 1.3000), as well as when comparing the passive self-ligating brackets with the conventional brackets (tensile strength mean 1.708, SD 0.8628; load at maximum load mean 5.254, SD 2.645). The active self-ligating brackets tended to produce more friction when compared to the passive self-ligating brackets but were similar to conventional brackets with stainless steel ligatures