Editorial

The edgewise appliance, born in the mind of Dr. Edward Angle and first introduced on June 2, 1925, has withstood the test of almost a century of time and usage. The 022 standard appliance that Angle described in a series of four articles in Dental Cosmos is being used by many orthodontic clinicians in fundamentally the same form as it was presented in 1928 and 1929 in Dental Cosmos. Yes, it has been modified in innumerable ways. However, to use one of the modifications, the clinician must understand and respect the fundamentals of its use. This treatise describes the appliance’s evolution from Angle to its use today. The force system of today is simpler and more refined than what Angle envisioned but the appliance is “intact.” It is as modern as tomorrow and will continue to be used as long as the specialty exists. It was Angle’s greatest contribution.

Objective The aim of this study was to find an association between the patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and with cervical vertebral anomalies and any further correlation between various anomalies with varying severities of OSA. Materials And Methods The sample consisted lateral cephalograms of 70 subjects who were diagnosed with OSA and 70 other orthodontic patients who were selected as a control group. The lateral radiographs of both cases and controls were traced and findings were recorded. Results In total, 21.42% of subjects in the OSA group and 8.57% in the control group were affected with cervical vertebrae anomalies. The statistical analysis reveals that the number of subjects affected with cervical vertebrae anomalies in OSA group is highly significant. A number of cases of fusion were higher than posterior arch deficiency in OSA group and equal in the control group. However, in both the groups, the number of cases with two vertebrae fusion was higher. Further, the higher number of two vertebrae fusion cases in OSA group was found to be statistically significant. The findings of one-way ANOVA for OSA cases reveals the number of cases affected with cervical vertebrae anomalies were statistically highly significant (P < 0.01) in severe cases of OSA. Conclusion Patients of cervical vertebral anomalies may be at higher risk of developing OSA, and the possibility of the presence of cervical vertebral anomalies may increase with the increase in the severity of OSA. The most common vertebral anomaly was found to be two vertebral fusions.

Invisible orthodontics have been around for too long, and with the advent of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing technology appliances such as IncognitoTM has made the whole treatment experience more pleasant and aesthetic. However, even in lingual orthodontics, biomechanics play the most important role, and the use of temporary anchorage devices (TADs) has made the whole treatment more effective and efficient. This article focuses on cases where TADs in lingual appliances play a critical role in the treatment of various malocclusions.

Molar anchorage loss in extraction case is believed due to the reaction of mechanical force applied to retract anterior teeth. While it may be close to truth in adult patients, it is certainly not true in adolescents. Studies on molar growth show upper molar move forward as mandible growing forward, probably through intercuspation force. Hence, for adolescents, molar anchorage loss shall consist of two parts. One is from retraction force — mechanical anchorage loss; another from biologic force — physiologic anchorage loss. Since physiologic anchorage loss is caused by the continuous biologic force, the strategy of physiologic anchorage control (PAC) is different from the strategy of mechanical anchorage control. A new PAC method is introduced in this article that can reduce the headgear and temporary anchorage device used as sagittal anchorage dramatically in orthodontic clinic.

Objective The objectives of this study were to determine the thickness of skull bones, namely frontal, parietal, and occipital bones in Class I, Class II, and Class III patients. Materials And Methods Three hundred subjects who reported to the Department of Orthodontics requiring orthodontic treatment within the age group 17-35 were selected for the study. They were subdivided into three groups of 100 each according to the skeletal and dental relation. Profile radiographs were taken and the tracings were then scanned, and uploaded to the MATLAB 7.6.0 (R 2008a) software. The total surface areas of the individual bones were estimated by the software, which represented the thickness of each bone. Result Frontal bone was the thickest in Class III malocclusion group and the thinnest in Class II malocclusion group. But the parietal and occipital bone thickness were not significant. During gender differentiation in Class I, malocclusion group frontal bone thickness was more in males than females, In Class II, malocclusion parietal bone thickness was more in males than females. No statistically significant difference exists between genders, in Class III malocclusion group. During inter-comparison, the frontal bone thickness was significant when compared with Class I and Class II malocclusion groups and Class II and Class III malocclusion groups. Conclusion The differences in skull thickness in various malocclusions can be used as an adjunct in diagnosis and treatment planning for orthodontic patients. It was found that the new method (MATLAB 7.6.0 [R 2008a] software) of measuring skull thickness was easier, faster, precise, and accurate.

Aims And Objectives This study was carried to evaluate the shear bond strength of brackets bonded with self-etching primer and moisture insensitive primer (MIP) and compare it with the conventional adhesive system. Materials And Methods A total of 90 extracted human premolar teeth were selected and divided into three groups of 30 teeth each with two sub groups (dry and wet), of 15 teeth each. Each group was bonded with three different types of bonding systems namely visible light cure Clearfil Liner Bond 2V, MIP and Transbond XT. These groups were named SD, MD and CD in dry conditions and SW, MW and CW in wet condition and each of these groups were color coded. The shear bond strength of the bonding system in each group was tested using Universal testing machine Instron (Instron model:4206, Instron Corporation, USA). Results In dry condition all three groups showed good bond strength. Self-etch primer showed the average highest bond strength, followed by Transbond XT and then MIP. In wet condition MIP has highest bond strength, followed by self-etching primer and Transbond XT. Conclusion Under dry conditions conventional primer is the material of choice. Under wet conditions, MIP showed the highest bond strength and hence can be considered to be a material of choice.

Since its inception in 2007 as a stock bracket design the iLingual braces had evolved over the years to a completely customized lingual orthodontic appliance. The demand for maximum individualization is met by using state-of-the-art computer-aided design/ computer-aided manufacturing technology incorporating the bracket design into a complete digital workflow. Additional advantages of the system include complete three-dimensional control with tandem slot, direct and thus simplified rebonding in the event of bracket loss, more precise finishing, and enhanced patient comfort.

Molar distalisation is method of choice for gaining space in mild crowding cases as well as non-extraction treatment of patients having Class II Div 1 malocclusion. Through this paper we present a clinical innovation “MK” versatile spring for efficient tooth distalisation and mesialiation by inter-changing the positon of the helices. “MK” spring is made by 0.017? × 0.025? TMA wire in “M” configuration. It consists of 2 helices, one at the central arm and the other at the arm close to the tooth being mesialized or distalized. The helices are 2 mm in diameter and the length of the arm is 6 mm. The article presents 2 case reports where the effictiveness and efficiency of “MK” spring have been highlighted.

This article describes interdisciplinary treatment conducted in adult patients, 49-year-old, with periodontal problems, losses and dental inclination, occlusal trauma, localized bone loss, and necessity of rehabilitation with dental implants. Alignment and leveling of the teeth, the molars uprighting with cantilever, and space closure were performed the treatment was facilitated by periodic periodontal control. The resultant occlusion was stable throughout a 5-year retention period. In conclusion, interdisciplinary treatment combined with periodontics, orthodontics, implantodontist, and restorative dentistry was useful for improving the patient’s oral health, function, and esthetics.