Chiung-Shing Huang

Symmetry of the Nose after Presurgical Nasoalveolar Molding in Infants with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: A Preliminary Study:

Objective To assess nostril symmetry and alveolar cleft width in infants with unilateral cleft lip and palate following presurgical nasoalveolar molding (NAM). Sample and Methods Fifty-seven newborn patients underwent presurgical nasoalveolar molding. Magnified basal view facial photos were taken at four different times: initial visit (T1), before cheiloplasty (T2), 1 month after cheiloplasty (T3), and 1 year of age (T4). Direct measurements from the photos included: (1) nostril width on the affected and nonaffected side; (2) nostril height on the affected and nonaffected side; (3) columella—nasal base angle; and (4) width of the alveolar cleft. Nostril width and height data were used to calculate a ratio of affected to nonaffected side. Results Effects of nasal symmetry after presurgical nasoalveolar molding were compared between the affected and nonaffected side. The nostril width ratio was 1.7, 1.2, 1.0, and 1.2 for T1 to T4. The nostril height ratio was 0.5, 0.8, 1.0, and 0.9 for T1 to T4. The angle of the columella was 53.3°, 69.9°, 91.2°, and 86.9° for T1 to T4. The average alveolar cleft width was 8.2 mm at T1 and closed down to 2.4 mm before cheiloplasty (T2) in cases with complete cleft. Conclusions Infants with presurgical nasoalveolar molding improved symmetry of the nose in width, height, and columella angle, as compared to their presurgical status. There was some relapse of nostril shape in width (10%), height (20%), and angle of columella (4.7%) at 1 year of age.

Surgery-first accelerated orthognathic surgery: orthodontic guidelines and setup for model surgery.

The surgery-first approach indicates that the orthognathic surgery precedes the orthodontic treatment, whereas the orthodontics-first approach indicates that the orthodontic treatment precedes the orthognathic surgery. The conventional approach is an orthodontics-first approach. The purposes of this article are to introduce the concept of the surgery-first approach and to report the guidelines for orthodontic management and model surgery without presurgical orthodontic decompensation. The surgery-first approach treats facial esthetics first and then occlusion, whereas the conventional approach treats occlusion first and then facial esthetics. The surgery-first approach uses osteotomy to solve both skeletal problems and dental compensation, and a transitional occlusion is set up postoperatively. Orthodontics in the surgery-first approach is a postoperatively adjunctive treatment to transfigure the transitional occlusion into the solid final occlusion. The advantages of the surgery-first approach are that 1) the patients chief complaint, dental function, and facial esthetics are achieved and improved in the beginning of the treatment; 2) the entire treatment period is shortened to 1 to 1.5 years or fewer depending on the complexity of orthodontic treatment; and 3) the phenomenon of postoperatively accelerated orthodontic tooth movement reduces the difficulty and treatment time of orthodontic management in the surgery-first approach.

Surgery-First Accelerated Orthognathic Surgery: Postoperative Rapid Orthodontic Tooth Movement

PURPOSEnClinically, we have observed the phenomenon of postoperatively accelerated orthodontic tooth movement in patients who had orthognathic surgery. This phenomenon lasts for a period of 3 to 4 months. However, the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon have not been well studied yet. The purpose of this prospective clinical pilot study was to study the postoperative changes in bone physiology and metabolism and the corresponding responses in the dentoalveolus, such as the changes in tooth mobility.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnTwenty-two consecutive adult patients who had 2-jaw orthognathic surgery were included in this study. The levels of serum alkaline phosphatase and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), as well as the tooth mobility of the maxillary and mandibular incisors based on the Periotest method (Siemens AG, Bensheim, Germany), were examined preoperatively and 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, and 4 months postoperatively. The data were analyzed statistically.nnnRESULTSnBoth tooth mobility of the maxillary and mandibular incisors and ICTP significantly increased from 1 week to 3 months postoperatively and then decreased to their preoperative levels in the fourth month postoperatively. The changes in tooth mobility were significantly in correspondence with the changes in ICTP. The alkaline phosphatase level significantly increased from the first to fourth month postoperatively, but it was not significantly correlated to the changes in tooth mobility.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe orthognathic surgery triggers a 3- to 4-month period of higher osteoclastic activities and metabolic changes in the dentoalveolus postoperatively, which possibly accelerates postoperative orthodontic tooth movement.

The effect of gingivoperiosteoplasty on facial growth in patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate.

Objective Gingivoperiosteoplasty performed at the time of lip repair of cleft patients is one kind of alveolar repair. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effect of gingivoperiosteoplasty on facial growth of patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Design Retrospective study. Patients Sixty-two consecutive patients with nonsyndromic complete unilateral cleft lip/palate with 5-year-olds’ record were included in this retrospective study. Interventions All the patients had received nasoalveolar molding treatment before cheiloplasty at the age of 3 to 6 months. Twenty-six patients had gingivoperiosteoplasty performed at the time of cheiloplasty and function as the GPP group. Thirty-six patients did not have gingivoperiosteoplasty at the time of cheiloplasty and function as the non-GPP group. Main Outcome Measures Cephalometry was used to evaluate the facial growth at 5 years of age in the two groups of patients. Results Gingivoperiosteoplasty had significant effects on the maxillary position (SNA), intermaxillary position (ANB), maxillary length (PMP-ANS), and maxillary alveolar length (PMP-A) at the age of 5 years. The SNA and ANB angles were larger in non-GPP group than in the GPP group by 3.0° and 2.6°, respectively. The maxillary length (PMP-ANS) and maxillary alveolar length (PMP-A) were larger in the non-GPP group than in the GPP group by 2.1 and 2.9 mm, respectively. Conclusions In patients with UCLP, the sagittal growth of the maxilla would be affected more adversely in the GPP group than in the non-GPP group at the age of 5 years.

Long-term Follow-up After Maxillary Distraction Osteogenesis in Growing Children With Cleft Lip and Palate

Objective: To evaluate the changes in maxillary position after maxillary distraction osteogenesis in six growing children with cleft lip and palate. Design: Retrospective, longitudinal study on maxillary changes at A point, anterior nasal spine, posterior nasal spine, central incisor, and first molar. Setting: The University Hospital Craniofacial Center. Main Outcome Measure: Cephalometric radiographs were used to measure the maxillary position immediately after distraction, at 6 months, and more than 1 year after distraction. Results: After maxillary distraction with a rigid external distraction device, the maxilla (A point) on average moved forward 9.7 mm and downward 3.5 mm immediately after distraction, moved backward 0.9 mm and upward 2.0 mm after 6 months postoperatively, and then moved further backward 2.3 mm and downward 6.8 mm after more than 1 year from the predistraction position. Conclusion: In most cases, maxilla moved forward at distraction and started to move backward until 1 year after distraction, but remained forward, as compared with predistraction position. Maxilla also moved downward during distraction and upward in 6 months, but started descending in 1 year. There also was no further forward growth of the maxilla after distraction in growing children with clefts.

Skull morphology affected by different sleep positions in infancy

In infancy, prior to cranial suture and fontanel calcification, the craniofacial skeleton can be easily deformed by an externally exerted force. In this study, the relationship between the sleep position and skull morphology was investigated. A group of 81 cleft lip and/or palate infants without other systemic anomalies was first seen in the craniofacial center at approximately 1 month of age. The sleep position of each infant was recorded as supine, prone, or mixed type. The body and skull growth were longitudinally measured at 1, 3, and 6 months of age. Infants sleeping in the supine sleep position tended to have a wider head width, shorter head length, and a larger cephalic index by 6 months of age. The opposite phenomena were observed in the prone sleep group. The mixed sleep group tended to have head width, head length, and cephalic index between those of the supine sleep group and the prone sleep group. During the first 3 months of life, the sleep position could mold the skull primarily in the dimension of head width. In conclusion, the supine sleep position may promote brachycephaly and the prone sleep position dolichocephaly.

Intraoral Photographs for Rating Dental Arch Relationships in Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

Background and Purpose: The Goslon Yardstick is one of the most commonly used methods to assess dental arch relationships of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate. This system was originally applied to dental casts. For reasons of economy and convenience, we aimed to determine whether intraoral photographs could substitute for dental casts for rating dental arch relationships. Methods: Records of 58 patients with nonsyndromic complete unilateral cleft lip and palate from the Chang Gung Craniofacial Center, Taipei, Taiwan, were used in this study. A set of dental casts and digital intraoral photographs taken at around 9 years of age were available for all patients. An experienced examiner rated the dental casts using the Goslon Yardstick to provide the reference scores. The other three examiners rated the intraoral photographs and repeated the rating 1 week later to calculate inter- and intraexaminer reliability. The photographic scores for each examiner were then compared with the reference scores to determine the validity of the photographs. Results: The results showed no significant difference between the rating of dental casts and photographs using the Goslon Yardstick. Reliability was also high for rating on photographs. Conclusions: Intraoral photographs appear to be a viable alternative to the application of the Goslon Yardstick on dental casts.

Maxillary dental arch affected by different sleep positions in unilateral complete cleft lip and palate infants

The development of the dental arch is well designed for adaptive and compensatory growth. In this study, the relationship between the sleep position and dental arch development was investigated. A group of 42 infants with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate with either prone (16) or supine (26) sleep position were seen in the craniofacial center. All infants were less than 1 month of age at the initial visit. Dental impressions of the maxillary arch were taken at the initial visit and just before cheiloplasty. Ten arch dimensions were measured in each dental cast and the longitudinal change in each dimension was compared between the prone sleep group and the supine sleep group. Statistically significant changes were detected in the growth rate of the following dimensions: intercanine width, intertuberosity width, alveolar cleft width, anterior cleft width, and posterior cleft width. This study indicated that sleep position affected maxillary arch development. Infants sleeping in the prone sleep position tended to have narrower arch width and cleft width.

Craniofacial characteristics in unilateral complete cleft lip and palate patients with congenitally missing teeth

INTRODUCTIONnCongenitally missing permanent teeth are common in patients with clefts. This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the craniofacial characteristics in patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate with congenitally missing permanent teeth.nnnMETHODSnA series of 73 consecutive patients with nonsyndromic unilateral complete cleft lip and palate were enrolled. Evaluation of congenitally missing permanent teeth was based on the panoramic films taken from 7 to 11 years of age. The cephalometric films taken around 9 years of age were used to compare the craniofacial morphology in patients with no congenitally missing permanent teeth (n = 20) and 1 (n = 25), 2 (n = 18), and 3 (n = 10) congenitally missing permanent teeth. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to assess the association of increased numbers of congenitally missing permanent teeth with each cephalometric parameter.nnnRESULTSnAnterior facial height, distance from the maxillary incisor and first molar to the palatal plane, and overjet decreased as the number of congenitally missing permanent teeth increased in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate.nnnCONCLUSIONSnUnilateral cleft lip and palate patients with congenitally missing permanent teeth have a unique craniofacial morphology with a reduced vertical dimension.

Long-Term Stability after Orthodontic Treatment-Literature Review

Long-term stability is one of the treatment goals of orthodontics especially with a long lasting treatment and a painful experience for the patients. Intermolar width, intercanine width, overjet, overbite, and irregularity index after orthodontic treatment were reviewed. 1. To prevent relapse of intermolar and intercanine width, overexpansion should be avoided in both extraction and nonextraction groups. 2. Posttreatment decrease in width of the maxillary and mandibular arches was directly related to each other. 3. Overbite tended to increase after treatment. 4. As the overbite increased after treatment, the overjet also tended to increase. 5. The maxillary and mandibular arches tended to become more crowded after treatment. 6. Prediction of amount of relapse after retention is impossible. 7. The type of retainer and the longer period of the retainer wearing cannot prevent relapse after postretention. 8. Type of malocclusion, severity of anterior crowding, amount of overbite and overjet in pretreatment, and type of orthodontic mechanic used were not correlated with amount of relapse after postretention.