Dpto. Odontología

Purpose The airway complex is modified by palatine expansion. Computer tomography has been used in the past to determine the change in volume, but there was a lack of a specific, reproducible method for this purpose. The present study sought to determine the accuracy, reproducibility, and repeatability of an innovative digital measurement technique for analyzing the volume of maxillary and nasal sinus airways following suture palatine expansion performed with the Hyrax disyuntor appliance. Methods Patients underwent preoperative and postoperative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. The datasets were subsequently uploaded into a digital treatment planning software to record the volume of the right and left maxillary sinus, as well as the nasal and maxillary sinus airway complex. The Gage Repeatability & Reproducibility statistical analysis methodology was used to evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of this measurement technique when measuring the volume of maxillary and nasal sinus airways following suture palatine expansion with the Hyrax disyuntor appliance. Additionally, comparative analysis between preoperative and postoperative measures was performed using Student’s t-test for statistical analysis. Results In 5 patients, paired t-tests found statistically significant differences before and after treatment in the volumes of the left maxillary sinus (p = 0.002), right maxillary sinus (p = 0.001), and nasal and maxillary sinus airway complex (p = 0.005) after suture palatine expansion with the Hyrax disyuntor appliance. Conclusion The proposed digital technique is an accurate, repeatable, and reproducible measurement technique for analyzing the volume of maxillary and nasal sinus airways following suture palatine expansion using the Hyrax disyuntor.

Background: Orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances is associated with changes in oral microbiota, including increased Candida colonization. The Candida fungus can cause oral lesions and infections such as candidiasis and angular cheilitis, and is harmful to both the patient and the orthodontist. Poor hygiene facilitates the colonization of these microorganisms. The key aim was to quantify the colonization of C. albicans in patients prior to beginning orthodontic treatment, and during the treatment process. Material and Methods: A total of 124 patients (43 males and 80 females) with a mean age of 19.5 years, who required treatment with metal or aesthetic (ceramic) braces, were studied. Microbiological samples were taken from the oral cavity using the swab technique throughout the treatment and cultured on a Sabouraud Dextrose Agar plate and, if positive, cultured on a CHROMagar® Candida plate. Results: In contrast to other published studies, no statistically significant increase in C. albicans colonization was observed during the orthodontic treatment. The fixed appliances had no influence on the presence, absence or level of colonization by C. albicans and there were no significant differences between the different appliances studied. Conclusions: Our study showed that frequency of oral hygiene measures by study participants did not affect the rate of oral carriage of Candida in a statistically significant manner. This observation contrasted with published literature, which suggests that thorough brushing is important to prevent the build-up of Candida species.

One of the main objectives of orthodontic treatment is to achieve an esthetic smile. This study set out to analyze differences in the perception of smile esthetics among patients before and after receiving orthodontic treatment. 250 Spanish patients analyzed a single photograph in which, by means of computer software, midline diastema, black triangle, gingival margin of the left central incisor, and gingival (ªgummyº) smile were altered. Each patient analyzed these images before and after undergoing orthodontic treatment. Patients scored the photographs on a scale from 1 to 10. Statistical analyses of each group's level of perception were carried out, identifying significant differences in evaluations before and after treatment, and in relation to subjects' gender and age. Patients presented significant differences in the esthetic perception of midline diastema and gummy smile anomalies after they had completed orthodontic treatment. Gender influenced the perception of smile esthetics, whereby women were significantly more critical of midline diastema, black triangle and gingival margin of the upper central incisor than men. The age variable also showed significant differences in the perception of midline diastema and black triangle anomalies. The perception of smile esthetics of some dental anomalies changes as a result of orthodontic treatment. Gender influences the perception of some of the dental anomalies studied.