Digital workflows are now increasingly possible in orthodontic practice. Workflows designed to improve the customization of orthodontic appliances are now available through laboratories and orthodontic manufacturing facilities in many parts of the world. These now have the potential to improve certain aspects of patient care.

Editorial

Displacement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc causes a lateral shift of the mandible and less-developed and/or distally located mandible unilaterally and bilaterally, respectively, if occurred in growing individuals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate mandibular condylar growth in growing rats after TMJ discectomy and to explore a certain significant role of articular disc in the TMJ in mandibular or cartilaginous growth. Eighteen 4-week-old Wistar strain male rats were divided into two groups with nine in each group, i.e., rats with TMJ discectomy (discectomy group) and only sham operation (control group). Four weeks after initiating the experiment, morphometric analyses of the mandible were performed using a rat and mouse cephalometer and micro-computed tomography. Then, the mandibular condyles were subjected to histomorphometric analyses. Condylar and mandibular growth was reduced significantly in the discectomy group than in the control group. In the discectomy group, the condyle also became flatter and smaller. In addition, the 4-layer structure of condylar cartilage was unclear with thicker fibrous and thinner lower hypertrophic layers in the discectomy group when compared to the controls. It is shown that resection of the articular disc substantially affects condylar and mandibular growth in terms of the cartilaginous growth, suggesting that TMJ disc is indispensable for maintaining normal growth of the condyle and mandible, leading to optimal development of the TMJ and the entire mandible.

Clinical orthodontic photography is a vital skill set that every practicing orthodontist should master to be successful at the documentation of case records, patient education, peer presentations, marketing, and at acquiring additional certifications. This article aims to review various aspects of orthodontic photography and relevant research.

A clear retainer is a removable retainer that is popular in the present day. Compared with conventional fixed and removable orthodontic retainers, it is a more esthetic, comfortable, and inexpensive appliance. Although several studies have been published about clear retainers, it could be difficult to interpret the results because of the variety of study designs, sample sizes, and research methods. This article is intended to compile the content from previous studies and discuss advantages, disadvantages, fabrication, insertion, and adjustment. Moreover, the effectiveness in maintaining dental position, occlusion, retention protocols, thickness, and survival rate of clear retainers is discussed.

Background The aim of this study was to explore dental maturation as a diagnostic test for skeletal maturation. Materials And Methods Six hundred and fifty-seven growing individuals were classified according to their cervical vertebral maturity and dental maturity, both determined in lateral cephalograms and panoramic radiographs, respectively. The correlation between cervical and dental stages was established for each gender. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was made, and sensitivity and specificity values were established. Results Correlation was found between cervical and dental maturation for females (r = 0.73; P < 0.001) and males (r = 0.60; P < 0.001). Sensitivity for dental Stage F, as an indicator of a postmaturation peak stage, was 87.21% for females and 97.1% for males, whereas specificity for the same stage was 82.92% and 72.3% for females and males, respectively. Conclusions Dental maturation evaluation could contribute determining whether a patient is in a pre- or post-growth spurt stage.

The gap between basic science research and clinical application has long existed and therefore translational research has emerged in recent years to bridge such gap. Consortium for Translational Orthodontic Research (CTOR) was established with missions to integrate resources from different entities and to provide a platform for interdisciplinary groups who share the same vision to exchange ideas and inspire innovations. During its short existence, CTOR has successfully carried out several research projects which led to various innovations. Micro-osteoperforation is by far one of the most successful examples of translational research in the orthodontic field. It exemplifies how translational research can benefit scientists, clinicians, and patients. In this article, the process of its development, the rationale and scientific evidence from animal and clinical studies, and how it can be applied in daily practice will be depicted.

Objective To investigate the existence and suitability of mathematical proportions between the widths of maxillary anterior teeth in Bangladeshi population having an esthetic smile, with the aid of digital photographs and computer analysis. Place Of Study The study was conducted at the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics of Dhaka Dental College and Hospital, Dhaka. Period Of Study The study was conducted from April 2016 to September 2016. Sample Selection The study samples collected from Students of Dhaka Dental College, Mirpur-14, Dhaka, Bangladesh, with age limit 18–35 years. Materials And Methods Standardized frontal images of 100 dental students of Dhaka Dental College were captured. All the images were downloaded to a personal computer, and width of each tooth was measured by the scale tool of Photoshop CS version 8.0. All the data were analyzed (through standard statistical method) using Statistical Package for Social Science Software version 20 (IBM Corp., USA). Results The golden proportion existed in 17% of the perceived width ratios of lateral incisor to central incisor and 4% of the width ratios of canine to lateral incisor in natural dentition. Sixty-six percent lateral incisors are following the golden percentage, but only 7% central incisors and 21% canines are following the golden percentage. The recurring esthetic dental (RED) proportion existed in only 4% of participants. Conclusions The golden proportion, golden percentage, and the RED proportion cannot be used as constant proportions to create a harmonious proportion throughout the width of maxillary anterior teeth. The adjusted golden percentage might serve as a guideline to create harmonious proportions in maxillary anterior teeth for Bangladeshi population.

Maxillary canine is the most frequently impacted tooth in the dental arch and twice common in females than in males. Treatment of impacted maxillary canine can be difficult and time consuming, depending on its position. Improper direction and magnitude of applied force can lead to increased chances of adjacent tooth resorption. This article describes about a simple cantilever spring that can be fabricated at chair side for extrusion of a bucally impacted canine.

This is a modified lace back to distalize canine. This modification overcomes the previous problems associated with the design.