Torque expression in self-ligating orthodontic brackets and conventionally ligated brackets: a systematic review

To evaluate the torque expression of self ligating (SL) orthodontic brackets and conventionally ligated brackets and the torque expression in active and passive SL brackets. Our systematic search included MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Scopus, and key journals and review articles; the date of the last search was April 4th 2016. We graded the methodological quality of the studies by means of the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies, developed for the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP). In total, 87 studies were identified for screening, and 9 studies were eligible. The quality assessment rated one of the study as being of strong quality, 7 (77.78%) of these studies as being of moderate quality. Three out of 7 studies which compared SL and conventionally ligated brackets showed, conventionally ligated brackets with highest torque expression compared to SL brackets. Badawi showed active SL brackets with highest torque expression compared to passive SL brackets. Major and Brauchli showed no significant differences in torque expression of active and passive SL brackets. Conventionally ligated brackets presented with highest torque expression compared to SL brackets. Minor difference was recorded in a torque expression of active and passive SL brackets

The Factors Affecting Long-Term Stability in Anterior Open-Bite Correction - A Systematic Review

Objective:The present systemic review was conducted with the main purpose to evaluate the quantitative effects of orthognathic surgeries, extraction versus non-extraction treatment, and the type of malocclusion in the stability of anterior open-bite (AOB) correction over the long-term.Methods:The systematic search for studies was conducted through MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, PsychINFO, various key journals, and review articles; November 30, 2016, was the last date for the search. The Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies was used to grade the methodological quality of the studies.Results:The present review included 14 studies. Stability of the corrected AOB ranged from 61.9% to 100%. The studies with orthognathic surgeries showed a stability of 70–100%. The studies without orthognathic surgeries showed the stability of 61.9–96.7%. All of the studies were retrospective. The mean change in AOB before (T1) and after treatment (T2-T1) was 0.1 mm to 6.93 mm and the mean change in overbite from T2 to T3 (T3-T2) was −0.06 mm to 2.5 mm.Conclusion:Studies with orthognathic surgeries presented with high amount of long-term stability in corrected AOB. No significant difference was noticed in relation to the type of malocclusion and extraction or non-extraction cases

Changes in Upper Airway Dimensions Following Orthodontic Treatment of Skeletal Class II Malocclusion with Twin Block Appliance: A Systematic Review

Objective:This systematic review intends to evaluate the dimensional changes in upper airway dimensions (UAD) of the respiratory tract subsequent to orthodontic treatment of skeletal Class II malocclusion with Twin Block Appliance (TBA).Methods:The quality of reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses was decided by the PRISMA standards with PROSPERO registration number CRD42017060317. The systematic search included EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psych INFO, Scopus, CINAHL, and other reference journals and review articles. The article search was performed from March 2017 until November 2017. Cochrane's risk of bias in non-randomized studies – of interventions (ROBINS-I) was used to grade the methodological quality of the included studies.Results:The screening procedure identified 302 studies, among which seven studies satisfied the inclusion criteria for eligibility. The UAD at the pretreatment time varied from 7.2 mm to 41.9 mm with a mean of 14.16 mm. The post-treatment change in UAD ranged from 8.2 mm to 43.7 mm with a mean of 15.6 mm.Conclusion:There was a significant increase in UAD following the TBA treatment in the patient group as compared to the control group

Gingival Biotype and Its Relation with Malocclusion

Objective:To systematically review the relationship between gingival biotype (GT) and malocclusion.Methods:The review followed PRISMA standards of quality for systematic reviews and meta-analyses reporting with PROSPERO registration number CRD42020126543. The systematic database search included MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and other key journals; the article search was performed until February 2020. Cochrane’s risk of bias in non-randomized studies-of interventions (ROBINS-I) was used to grade the methodological quality of the included studies.Results:The systematic search identified 105 studies, six studies satisfied the inclusion criteria for eligibility. The study participants ranged from 26 to 200 (total n=812), with a mean of 135. Study participants were aged between 14 and 32 years. Five studies were graded as the moderate risk of bias and one study as low risk of bias. Two studies showed thin GT among individuals with severe crowding compared to mild crowding. Three studies showed a thin GT with a narrow zone of the keratinized gingival width compared to a thick GT. No relationship was found between GT and Angle’s classification of malocclusion.Conclusion:No relationship was observed between Angle’s classification of malocclusion and GT. Thin GT was prevalent among individuals with pro-inclination of incisors. Keratinized gingival width was narrow among individuals with thin GT

Efficacy of platelet concentrates in pulpotomy – a systematic review

The main purpose of the present systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy of platelet concentrates in pulpotomy of human teeth. Our systematic search included Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, key journals, and review articles; the date of the last search was July 30, 2017. We graded the methodological quality of the studies by Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Four randomized controlled trails were included in the present systematic review. The number of study participants ranged from 28 to 50, with a mean of 45.5. The age of study participants ranged between 4 and 25 years. In three of the included studies, platelet-rich fibrin (autologous) was used and in one study lyophilized freeze-dried platelet (allogenic) was used as pulpotomy material. Calcium hydroxide and mineral trioxide aggregate were used in control groups. The quality assessment rated three studies as being of fair quality and one study as poor quality. Two of the included studies showed a 100% success of pulpotomy with platelet concentrates and two studies showed more than 80% of success, but the difference between control group and platelet concentrates group was not statistically significant. To conclude, the number of publications that met all inclusion criteria was found to be very limited and no significant difference was reported in the studies comparing platelet concentrates with other materials in pulpotomy. The present results point to the need for high-quality randomized controlled trials in further research

Effect of the severity of SARS-CoV-2 on pregnancy and delivery: A narrative review

Background: Pregnant women with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are more likely than non-pregnant women to develop severe COVID-19 complications. In addition, COVID-19 is linked to unfavorable pregnancy outcomes. Due to the lack of effective COVID-19 treatment, it is critical to assess geographic differences and trends in current clinical care and the effect of COVID-19 on pregnant women. This review aims to evaluate maternal and neonatal outcomes in COVID-19 pregnancies. We searched the Medline database for research papers from January 2019 to December 31, 2021. Eleven studies of systematic, meta-analysis, review, and cohort designs were included with searched keywords {Pregnancy AND COVID [MeSH Terms]}. This study summarizes the maternal characteristics, vertical Transmission, maternal and neonatal outcomes, the rate of cesarean section, comorbidities, mechanical ventilation, ICU admission rate, mode of delivery, type of anesthesia, the average hospital length of stay (HLOS), the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), preeclampsia, pregnancy-induced hypertension, chest x‐ray and CT scan findings, treatments, and outcomes over time