No evidence to recommend or discourage any type of orthodontic treatment to correct Class II division 2 malocclusion in children

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One of important differences about Cochrane reviews is their commitment of their authors to regularly review and update the content of their reviews.  This is an update of a Cochrane review published in 2006.  The aim of the review being to establish whether orthodontic treatment, carried out without the removal of permanent teeth, in children [read the full story…]

Limited new information on the treatment of posterior crossbites

Upper orthodontic appliance

Maxillary expansion is a common orthodontic treatment used for the correction of posterior crossbite resulting from reduced maxillary width.  The aim of this review recent was to  assess the effectiveness of various modalities of orthopaedic/orthodontic expansion of maxillary arches with crossbite and the associated 6 month post retention stability. The authors searched ,Cochrane Central Register [read the full story…]

MI Paste Plus helped prevent the development of new white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment

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The aim of this trial was to determine the effectiveness of a new product, MI Paste Plus (GC America, Alsip, Ill), in the prevention or reduction of white spot lesions in orthodontic patients. 60 patients aged 12 and over who were undergoing routine orthodontic treatment were randomized to receive either M1 paste (n=26) or placebo [read the full story…]

Insufficient evidence to determine if orthodontic treatment is more or less efficient with self-ligating brackets than conventional brackets

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This critical summary of a systematic review published in 2010 was prepared under the auspices of the American Dental Association Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry. The aim of this review was  see whether  the use of using self-ligating brackets (SLBs)  improved clinical outcomes in orthodontic treatment compared with conventional brackets (CBs). The commentator  noted that despite [read the full story…]

Hawley and clear overlay retainers have similar survival times

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Having to wear a retainer following orthodontic treatment is almost universal.  The aim of this study was to compare the survival time of the Hawley retainer (HR) and the clear overlay retainer (COR) over one-year follow-up and to analyze risk factors contributing to their breakage. 120 adolescent  patients were randomised to receive either a HR  [read the full story…]

Functional orthodontic appliances have limited effect on mandibular growth

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The ADA Centre for Evidence-Based Dentistry has published a critical summary of a systematic review published earlier this year  (see Dental Elf 20-07-11) The commentator noted that although the review was conducted thoroughly  only 4 studies were included two with a low risk of bias one with a high risk and the other an unclear [read the full story…]

Conventional or self-ligating bracket use not an important predictor of mandibular intermolar width in non-extractions orthodontic cases

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The aim of this study was to compare intermolar widths after alignment of crowded mandibular dental arches in non-extraction adolescent patients between conventional and self-ligating brackets. The trial included patients requiring non-extraction treatment in both arches, having all mandibular teeth erupted with no spaces in the mandibular arch, mandibular irregularity index from canine to canine [read the full story…]

Early orthodontic treatment did not affect the incidence of incisor injury.

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Prominent anterior teeth are considered to be a risk factor for trauma. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and incidence of incisor trauma in subjects who participated in a randomized clinical trial designed to investigate early growth modifications in the treatment of Class II malocclusion. In this trial patients were randomised [read the full story…]

Limited evidence that extraction of deciduous canines prevents impaction of palatally displaced permanent canines

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This ADA Centre for Evidence-based Dentistry critical summary of  a systematic review  published in 2011. The original review was asked whether interceptive treatment involving the early extraction of the deciduous canine prevents impaction of palatally displaced canines (PDC) [ see Dental Elf 28th July ]. The ADA noted that while the review was generally well [read the full story…]

Rapid maxillary expansion with Haas-type and Hyrax-type expanders

Upper orthodontic appliance

First described over 100 years ago, rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is a method used to correct a transverse maxillary deficiency.  The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the immediate effects of RME in the transverse plane with Haas-type and Hyrax-type expanders by using cone-beam computed tomography. The authors randomised 33 subjects (mean [read the full story…]