Quality of life in orthodontic cancer survivor patients : a prospective casecontrol study

Background: The aim of the study was to compare the quality of life (QoL) of cancer survivors with a control group of healthy subjects before, during, and after the orthodontic treatment. Methods: Consecutive cancer survivors (40 people) who were looking for orthodontic treatment between 2008 and 2015 were enrolled into the study. Healthy orthodontic patients matched for age (±4 years), sex, and malocclusion served as controls. The 14-item version of the Oral Health Impact Profile was used to assess the effect of orthodontic treatment on QoL before, during, and after the orthodontic treatment. Results: There were no significant differences between both groups regarding the cast model, cephalometric analysis, and photographic documentation analysis. There was a significant worsening of QoL after the onset of the orthodontic treatment with a significant improvement after the treatment. Male cancer survivor patients reported significantly lower QoL during the treatment time, which was not observed in the male control group. Conclusions: The outcome of orthodontic treatment in cancer survivors did not differ from the healthy orthodontic patients. The orthodontic treatment had an impact on the oral health quality of life both in the cancer and the control groups with a significantly higher impact in male cancer survivor patients

Transplant vs implant in a patient with agenesis of both maxillary lateral incisors: A 9-year follow-up.

INTRODUCTION Agenesis of a maxillary lateral incisor occurs in about 2% of the population. Treatment options should adapt to natural biologic changes in a lifelong perspective. METHODS AND RESULTS A young woman with bilateral agenesis of the maxillary lateral incisors was treated with transplantation of a developing maxillary third molar on one side and a dental implant on the contralateral side, after orthodontic space opening. The periodontal examination, including bacterial testing of the transplant, the implant, and the control central incisor, was performed 9 years after the treatment. A radiologic assessment was also performed. The transplanted tooth did not differ from a natural incisor, except for the pulp obliteration, and the total bacteria count was higher at the implant site. The periodontal tissues around the implant showed progressive signs of recession. CONCLUSIONS Both tooth transplants and dental implants for replacing missing maxillary incisors can be effective in the long term. This report supports natural tooth substitution rather than implant placement for dental agenesis in the anterior maxilla

Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a Cephalometric Analysis: A Narrative Review

In recent years, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) has become more and more widespread in medicine and dentistry. It may contribute to improved quality of health care as diagnostic methods are getting more accurate and diagnostic errors are rarer in daily medical practice. The aim of this paper was to present data from the literature on the effectiveness of AI in orthodontic diagnostics based on the analysis of lateral cephalometric radiographs. A review of the literature from 2009 to 2023 has been performed using PubMed, Medline, Scopus and Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source databases. The accuracy of determining cephalometric landmarks using widely available commercial AI-based software and advanced AI algorithms was presented and discussed. Most AI algorithms used for the automated positioning of landmarks on cephalometric radiographs had relatively high accuracy. At the same time, the effectiveness of using AI in cephalometry varies depending on the algorithm or the application type, which has to be accounted for during the interpretation of the results. In conclusion, artificial intelligence is a promising tool that facilitates the identification of cephalometric landmarks in everyday clinical practice, may support orthodontic treatment planning for less experienced clinicians and shorten radiological examination in orthodontics. In the future, AI algorithms used for the automated localisation of cephalometric landmarks may be more accurate than manual analysis

Effect of Tooth Agenesis on Mandibular Morphology and Position

Congenital missing teeth (OMIM #106600) is the most common dental abnormality. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of tooth agenesis on the total mandibular length, length of the mandibular body and alveolar process, and the mandibular anteroposterior position. The material was obtained from the Department of Orthodontics, Medical University of Warsaw. The study group included 116 patients aged 9–18 years with a congenital absence of at least two permanent tooth buds in the maxilla and/or mandible (mean: 6.2 teeth missing/patient). All patients were Caucasians: 68 (59%) females and 48 (41%) males. The control group included 115 patients without tooth agenesis matched with the age and gender of the study group. A cephalometric analysis was performed, and it was focused on assessing anteroposterior mandibular measurements. This assessment was based on 17 measurements (12 linear and 5 angular). Statistical analysis of the cephalometric measurements between the study group and the control group showed significant changes regarding selected mandibular measurements. Tooth agenesis does not affect the total length of the mandible and the length of the mandibular body, but it might reduce the length of the mandibular arch length and result in a more retrusive mandibular position

Cancer survivors present significantly lower long-term stability of orthodontic treatment : a prospective case-control study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to compare the stability of orthodontic treatment in cancer survivors who had been treated with cytotoxic drugs with a generally healthy control group. MATERIALS/METHODS: The study included 52 cancer survivors treated orthodontically and 52 healthy control subjects matched for age, gender, and malocclusion. The weighted Peer Assessment Rating (w-PAR) index, the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON) were assessed before treatment, after the treatment, and at the 3-year follow-up. Patients Satisfaction Score was assessed after the treatment and at the 3-year follow-up. A repeated analysis of variance test was used to check the statistical significance between the scores. RESULTS: Ideal occlusion was achieved in all patients. The mean w-PAR and ICON values were significantly reduced in both groups after the end of the orthodontic treatment with no significant differences between the groups regarding the obtained results. However, after the 3-year follow-up, only the cancer survivors’ group presented statistically significant (P < 0.001) increase of the w-PAR and ICON values comparing to the values obtained at the end of the treatment. There was no significant change in Patients’ Satisfaction Score within 3 years after treatment. LIMITATIONS: The limited size of the study sample as well as different types of oncological diagnoses could have had an impact on the final results of the study. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Previous cytotoxic drug treatment significantly decreases the stability of orthodontic treatment among the cancer survivors, particularly within first 12 months after the end of the treatment

Dentofacial characteristics of children and adolescents with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders: a comparison with matched controls

Abstract Background Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) include somatic and neurological developmental disturbances after prenatal alcohol exposure, including facial anomalies. However, the knowledge of the orthodontic skeletal and dental cephalometric relations in this group is limited. The aim of the study was to assess the dentofacial characteristics of children and adolescents with FASD and to compare them with a matched control group. Methods The study group comprised all available children and adolescents diagnosed with FASD (> 7 years of age) in whom good quality cephalograms were available. The control group comprised non-syndromic, orthodontically untreated children with normal occlusion and skeletal relations matched with age and gender. Cephalometric analysis included eighteen linear and angular measurements. The general linear model for repeated measures regarding age, gender and the type of FASD was applied. Results The group with FASD included 35 individuals (21 girls and 14 boys) aged 7–18 years including 21 with foetal alcohol syndrome. The mean age in the study and the control group was 12.8 years (SD, range 3.2, 7.1–18.1) and 13.0 (SD, range 2.9, 9.1–18.1), respectively. Statistically significant differences between the groups were found in 15 out of 18 of the cephalometric measurements (83%). In children with FASD the mandible was more retrusive, the incisors were more proclined and the mandibular incisors and the lips were more protruded when compared with controls. There was no significant evidence of an influence of age, gender or FASD type. Conclusions Dentofacial characteristics of children and adolescents with FASD significantly differ from controls. Early orthodontic diagnosis and prophylaxis should play a part of the interdisciplinary care of patients in this group