André Wilson Machado

Sobremordida exagerada: diagnóstico e estratégias de tratamento

The multifactorial etiology of the deepbite requires specific and elaborated diagnosis methods. The aim of this paper is to discuss the major components of the diagnosis such as the facial, skeletal and dental aspects, as well as the main treatment strategies: posterior extrusion, anterior intrusion or a combination of them. Six clinical case reports will be presented to assist the clinician in the diagnosis and proper treatment selection.

Orthodontic treatment of a midline diastema related to mesiodens and thumb-sucking habit

Purpose: Midline diastema due to simultaneous interplay of mesiodens and thumb-sucking habit is a very uncommon situation and can represent negative impact on esthetics and function. The purpose of this article is to describe a case report of a 9 year-old boy with a 9-mm midline diastema and an anterior open bite treated with an interceptive orthodontic approach. Case Description: After orthodontic diagnosis, treatment undertaken was the surgical removal of the mesiodens and the use of a palatal crib therapy in order to discontinue the thumb habit. Then, orthodontic brackets were bonded on maxillary central incisors and the diastema closed allowing the spontaneous irruption of the maxillary laterals incisors. When acceptable levels of overbite and overjet were achieved and the habit was controlled, the orthodontic treatment was discontinued. Conclusion: To assure good results in managing pathological midline diastemas the diagnosis and treatment should be performed as early as possible.

Early correction of a developing Class III Malocclusion with a removable appliance

Class III malocclusion remains one of the most difficult to treat and its treatment timing has always been controversial. The purpose of this report was to present the case of a 6-year-old patient with a Developing Class III malocclusion and anterior crossbite treated early using a simple and effective maxillary removable appliance. The proposed intervention involved the construction of a removable appliance with digital springs. A 4.5 years follow-up evaluation showed favorable results demonstrating the efficacy of the approach undertaken as well as its stability. This case demonstrates that in specific cases such as this report, when this problem is identified and treated early, pediatric dentists have the opportunity to minimize the complexity of future orthodontic treatment and limit the extent of malocclusion in the permanent dentition. Correspondence to: Andre Wilson Machado, DDS, MS, PhD, Av. Araújo Pinho, 62, 7o andar, Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador/BA, Brazil. Cep: 40.110-150, Tel: 55 (71) 3336-6973; E-mail: andre@andrewmachado.com.br