Third molar extraction is one of the most frequent procedures in oral surgery. Ten million teeth are extracted from approximately five million individuals every year in the United States.1 The reported reasons for third molar removal include the risk of impaction associated with caries, pericoronitis, periodontal defects in the distal surface of second molars, odontogenic cysts and dental crowding. A prospective study2 showed that general dentists recommend extraction of third molars in 59%...

Rapid maxillary expansion is one of the most highly respected procedures in contemporary Orthodontics. The potential to orthopedically expand the maxilla favored correction of several occlusal changes. Since rapid expansion was first introduced as an orthodontic procedure, a number of appliances and modifications have been suggested in the literature. Among these, premolars rigidly connected by wires instead of banding procedures, as advocated by Haas years ago, have been proposed. In this...

Clinicians are typically not trained to evaluate scientific papers. As such, they often struggle trying to determine the level of evidence provided in the papers they read. Lack of training leads the reader to the fallacy of argumentum ad verecundiam when evaluating an article based on the authors’ last names or the journal’s title. This is a problem, given that the scientific method does not rank authority as a high level of evidence.

Alvaro Alfredo Figueroa grew up in Guatemala City, Guatemala, the son of a physician. He was always intrigued by the healthcare field and made it his life and livelihood when he attended dental school at the University of San Carlos in Guatemala. Shortly after graduation, he spread his wings and found a position researching at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. It is there that his passion for craniofacial anomalies and treatment developed. From NIH, he moved...

Objective: To assess the color stability of five types of ceramic brackets after immersion in potentially staining solutions. Methods: Ninety brackets were divided into 5 groups (n = 18) according to brackets commercial brands and the solutions in which they were immersed (coffee, red wine, coke and artificial saliva). The brackets assessed were Transcend (3M/ Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA), Radiance (American Orthodontics, Sheboygan, WI, USA), Mystique (GAC International Inc., Bohemia, NY, USA)...

Introduction: Mouth breathing (MB) is an etiological factor for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) during childhood. The habit of breathing through the mouth may be perpetuated even after airway clearance. Both habit and obstruction may cause facial muscle imbalance and craniofacial changes. Objective: The aim of this paper is to propose and test guidelines for clinical recognition of MB and some predisposing factors for SDB in children. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with...

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess whether repetitive opening and closure of self-ligating bracket clips can cause plastic deformation of the clip. Methods: Three types of active/interactive ceramic self-ligating brackets (n = 20) were tested: In-Ovation C, Quicklear and WOW. A standardized controlled device performed 500 cycles of opening and closure movements of the bracket clip with proper instruments and techniques adapted as recommended by the manufacturer of each bracket...

Objective: To assess four different chemical surface conditioning methods for ceramic material before bracket bonding, and their impact on shear bond strength and surface integrity at debonding. Methods: Four experimental groups (n = 13) were set up according to the ceramic conditioning method: G1 = 37% phosphoric acid etching followed by silane application; G2 = 37% liquid phosphoric acid etching, no rinsing, followed by silane application; G3 = 10% hydrofluoric acid etching alone; and G4 =...

Objective: To compare shear bond strength of different direct bonding techniques of orthodontic brackets to acrylic resin surfaces. Methods: The sample comprised 64 discs of chemically activated acrylic resin (CAAR) randomly divided into four groups: discs in group 1 were bonded by means of light-cured composite resin (conventional adhesive); discs in group 2 had surfaces roughened with a diamond bur followed by conventional direct bonding by means of light-cured composite resin; discs in...

Objective: To assess facial morphology (Pattern) and sagittal relationship between dental arches (Class), and establish a potential association between them and the variables sex, age and ethnicity, among schoolchildren aged between 4 and 9 years old (mean age of 6.7 years) in primary and mixed dentitions. Methods: The sample comprised 875 children (457 males and 418 females) attending schools in Descalvado, São Paulo, Brazil. An attempt was made with a view to establish a potential...

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the cephalometric pattern of children with and without adenoid obstruction. Methods: The sample comprised 100 children aged between four and 14 years old, both males and females, subjected to cephalometric examination for sagittal and vertical skeletal analysis. The sample also underwent nasofiberendoscopic examination intended to objectively assess the degree of adenoid obstruction. Results: The individuals presented tendencies towards...

Objective: Although much has been investigated about the effects of cervical headgear, there remains some controversy. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review is to disclose the actual effects of the cervical headgear appliance, based on articles of relevant quality. Methods: A literature review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane databases. Inclusion criteria consisted of human studies written in English; published between 1970 and 2014; in...

This article reports orthodontic treatment of a case of hypodontia of five premolars in an 11-year-old female patient with a positive tooth size-arch length discrepancy in both dental arches. The patient had a straight profile with balanced facial growth. Setup manufacture revealed the possibility of achieving ideal occlusion by mesializing permanent molars up to 15 mm, in addition to keeping a primary molar in the dental arch. With the aid of absolute anchorage, the proposed mechanics was...

Angle Class III malocclusion is characterized by anteroposterior dental discrepancy which might be associated or not with skeletal changes. Class III molar relationship is associated with vertical or lingually tipped mandibular incisors and a usually concave profile. These characteristics seriously affect facial esthetics and most frequently are the reason why patients seek orthodontic treatment. This case was presented to the committee of the Brazilian Board of Orthodontics and Facial...

Introduction: Interceptive treatment of Class II, Division 1 malocclusion is a challenge orthodontists commonly face due to the different growth patterns they come across and the different treatment strategies they have available. Objective: To report five cases of interceptive orthodontics performed with the aid of Klammt's elastic open activator (KEOA) to treat Class II, Division 1 malocclusion. Methods: Treatment comprehends one or two phases; and the use of functional orthopedic...