Didem Nalbantgil

Skeletal, Dental and Soft-Tissue Changes Induced by the Jasper Jumper Appliance in Late Adolescence

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the skeletal, dental, and soft-tissue changes in late-adolescent patients treated with Jasper Jumpers applied with sectional arches. The study sample consisted of 30 subjects (15 treated, 15 untreated) with skeletal and dental Class II malocclusion. Our study was carried out on 75 lateral cephalometric films. Among these radiograms, 15 were taken before the leveling stage in the treatment group. Half of the remaining 60 were taken before placement and after removal of the Jasper Jumper appliance in the treatment group and the other half at the beginning and six months after in the control group. The patient selection criteria were Class II malocclusion caused by retrognathic mandible, normal or low-angle growth pattern, and postpeak growth period. The statistical assessment of the data suggests that the sagittal growth potential of the maxilla was inhibited. There were no significant changes in the vertical skeletal parameters. The mandibular incisors were protruded and intruded, whereas the maxillary incisors were retruded and extruded. The upper molars tipped distally as the lower molars tipped mesially. Because of these changes, the occlusal plane rotated in the clockwise direction. Overbite and overjet were reduced, and the soft-tissue profile improved significantly. The results revealed that, in late-adolescent patients, the Jasper Jumper corrected Class II discrepancies mostly through dentoalveolar changes. It is suggested that this treatment method could be an alternative to orthognathic surgery in borderline Class II cases.

Debonding of ceramic brackets by a new scanning laser method

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this in-vitro study was to develop a new method to debond ceramic brackets by scanning with an Er:YAG laser. METHODS Sixty bovine mandibular incisors were randomly divided into 2 groups of 30. Polycrystalline ceramic brackets were placed on their labial surfaces by using the orthodontic composite adhesive Transbond XT (3M Unitek, Monrovia, Calif) and light cured for a total of 40 seconds. The first group was the control group, with no laser application performed. The Er:YAG laser was used on each bracket in the study group at 4.2 W for 9 seconds with the scanning method. The force required for debonding the brackets was applied 45 seconds after laser exposure. Shear bond strengths were measured in megapascals with a universal testing machine, and adhesive remnant index scores were assigned to each specimen. RESULTS Statistically significant (P <0.001) lower shear bond strengths were found in the laser group (9.52 MPa) compared with the control group (20.75 MPa). Likewise, the adhesive remnant index scores were statistically different (P <0.001); the laser group had twice as many samples with adhesive, with the adhesive remnant index scores of 2 or 3. CONCLUSIONS The application of the Er:YAG laser with the scanning method is effective for debonding ceramic brackets by degrading the adhesive through thermal softening.

Orthodontic Treatment Protocol of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Type VI

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) type VI is an autosomal recessive disorder of the connective tissue characterized by joint hypermobility, muscle hypotonia, scoliosis, and ocular fragility. In this case report, an EDS type VI patient with a skeletal and dental Class III malocclusion is presented and the clinical approach to his orthodontic problem is emphasized. A 17-year-old male patient presenting some major and minor symptoms of the syndrome was referred to our orthodontic department for diagnosis and treatment. The typical clinical signs confirmed the diagnosis of EDS type VI. He was a skeletal and dental Class III malocclusion patient (both mandibular protrusion and maxillary retrusion) with a noncontributory family history. He had severe crowding in the lower and upper dental arches with retruded incisors. His first treatment plan included orthognathic surgery, but because of the risks of bleeding and poor healing, we elected to treat the patient without surgery.

Pulpal Thermal Changes following Er-YAG Laser Debonding of Ceramic Brackets

Lasers are effective in debonding ceramic brackets. Unfortunately, while reducing the adhesive bond strength, lasers are also reported to increase pulpal temperature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strengths and temperature increase levels after debonding ceramic brackets using an Er-YAG laser with or without water-cooling. Sixty polycrystalline upper premolar ceramic brackets were placed on the labial surface of sixty human premolar teeth which were randomly divided into three groups of twenty. A laser pulse at 5 W for 9 seconds was delivered to each bracket in both study groups either with water-cooling (water group) or without water-cooling (waterless group) using an Er-YAG laser. Debonding was performed 45 seconds after laser exposure and shear bond strengths were measured. Data comparison revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups. Mean temperature increases of 2.41°C and 4.59°C were recorded for the water and waterless laser groups, respectively. The shear bond strength value for the control group was 22.76 MPa and 10.46 and 6.36 MPa for the water and waterless laser groups, respectively. The application of Er-YAG laser with water-cooling was an efficient and safe method of debonding ceramic brackets.

Effects of fixed functional therapy on tongue and hyoid positions and posterior airway

OBJECTIVE To evaluate how therapy with a fixed functional appliance affects airway dimensions, dentoalveolar changes, and tongue and hyoid positions. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective study was carried out on 46 pre- and posttreatment lateral cephalometric radiographs of 23 post-peak Class II patients (12 girls, 11 boys) treated with a Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device (FRD) appliance. The radiographies were taken at the start and at the end of Forsus FRD appliance therapy when a Class I or overcorrected Class I canine and molar relationship was achieved. The process took an average of 5 months 13 days ± 1 month 4 days. Skeletal and dental parameters were measured using Dolphin software, and the sagittal airway area was measured by AutoCAD software. RESULTS Analyses of the pre- and posttreatment means revealed that there was no statistically significant skeletal correction of the sagittal malocclusion; increase of lower incisor inclination, decrease of upper incisor inclination, decrease of interincisal angle, and rotation of occlusal plane all contributed to the reduction of overjet. The tongue area and intermaxillary space area increased in response to these dentoalveolar changes; however, there was no statistically significant change in the hyoid position or the oropharyngeal area between the two time points. CONCLUSIONS The dentoalveolar changes produced by Forsus FRD appliance did not cause any significant posterior airway changes in young adult patients.

In Vitro Effects of Two Topical Varnish Materials and Er:YAG Laser Irradiation on Enamel Demineralization around Orthodontic Brackets

The aim of this in vitro was to evaluate the effects of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) containing varnish materials and Er:YAG laser irradiation on enamel demineralization around orthodontic brackets. Forty extracted human premolar teeth were randomly divided into four treatment groups (i.e., 10 in each group): (1) 5% NaF-ACP varnish, (2) 5% NaF-TCP varnish, (3) Er:YAG laser, and (4) control (no treatment). Er:YAG laser was operated at a wavelength of 2.94 μm and the energy output was 80 mJ per pulse; a pulse duration of 200 μsec and and a frequency of 2 Hz were used with water cooling. All samples were then put into pH cycles. Surface microhardness values and representative SEM images were assessed. Surface microhardness values were evaluated using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. The results revealed that demineralization was significantly lower in the TCP and ACP varnish groups, whereas mean surface microhardness values of the TCP varnish were found higher than the ACP (P < 0.05). TCP and ACP varnish materials were found effective for reducing enamel demineralization around orthodontic brackets. Use of Er:YAG laser irradiation as described in this study for inhibition of demineralization was found not satisfactory.

Effects of a newly designed apparatus on orthodontic skeletal anchorage

Objective: An appliance was designed to increase the cortical bone surface contact area of miniscrew implants (MSIs). The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of this appliance on the anchorage force resistance and the stability of orthodontic MSIs. Materials and Methods: A total of 48 MSIs were placed into bone specimens prepared from the ilium of bovines. Half were placed with the newly designed apparatus and half were placed conventionally. All the specimens were subjected to tangential force loading perpendicular to the MSI with lateral displacement of 0.6 mm, using an Instron Universal Testing machine. The maximum removal torque of each tested specimen was also recorded. Both study and control groups were divided into two subgroups based on whether they had thin and thick cortical bone. Results: The test group had statistically higher force anchorage resistance and maximum insertion torque values than the control group (P < 0.001). The results were found to be more significant in cases in which the cortical bone was thin (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Within the limits of this in vitro study, the present findings suggest that the newly designed apparatus might have a favorable effect on MSI stability in patients presenting with thin cortical bone. Clinical studies are necessary to confirm the results that were observed in vitro.

Metal ion release from silver soldering and laser welding caused by different types of mouthwash

OBJECTIVE To compare metal ion release from samples welded with silver soldering and laser welding when immersed into mouthwashes with different ingredients. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 72 samples were prepared: 36 laser welded and 36 silver soldered. Four samples were chosen from each subgroup to study the morphologic changes on their surfaces via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Each group was further divided into four groups where the samples were submerged into mouthwash containing sodium fluoride (NaF), mouthwash containing sodium fluoride + alcohol (NaF + alcohol), mouthwash containing chlorhexidine (CHX), or artificial saliva (AS) for 24 hours and removed thereafter. Subsequently, the metal ion release from the samples was measured with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The metal ion release among the solutions and the welding methods were compared. The Kruskal-Wallis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used for the group comparisons, and post hoc Dunn multiple comparison test was utilized for the two group comparisons. RESULTS The level of metal ion release from samples of silver soldering was higher than from samples of laser welding. Furthermore, greater amounts of nickel, chrome, and iron were released from silver soldering. With regard to the mouthwash solutions, the lowest amounts of metal ions were released in CHX, and the highest amounts of metal ions were released in NaF + alcohol. SEM images were in accord with these findings. CONCLUSIONS The laser welding should be preferred over silver soldering. CHX can be recommended for patients who have welded appliances for orthodontic reasons.

Mini-İmplantların Devrilmesini Önlemede Yeni Bir Yaklaşım

OZET Amac: Calismanin amaci, ortodontik yuk altinda mini-implant deplasman miktarini belirlemek ve mini-implantlarin yaka kismina yerlestirilen yeni tasarlanmis bir aparatin (mini-implant ring - MIR) etkinligini degerlenmektir. Gerecler ve Yontem: Toplam 48 mini-implant sigir kalca kemiginden elde edilen orneklere uygulanmistir. Calisma grubunda 24 mini-implant MIR ile uygulanmis ve kalan mini-implantlar MIR olmadan uygulanarak kontrol olarak ayrilmistir. Tum mini-implantlar vida uzun eksenine dik olacak sekilde 200 g teget yuke tabi tutulmuslar ve vidalarin yer degistirmesi Instron Universal Test Makinesi kullanilarak milimetre cinsinden olculmustur. Yukleme testi sonrasi, her bir mini-implant cikarilmis ve kortikal kemik orneklerinin kalinliklari olculmustur. Orneklerin kortikal kalinligina gore, calisma ve kontrol gruplari, ince ve kalin kortikal kemik olarak alt gruplara ayrilmistir. Bulgular: 200 g kuvvet uygulandiginda, MIR ile uygulanan mini-implantlarin ortalama deplasman degerleri MIR olmadan uyg...

Which Orthodontic Wire and Working Sequence Should be Preferred for Alignment Phase? A Review

The key to a successful orthodontic therapy depends not only on manual skills and knowledge about treatment steps, but also on knowledge and choice of materials used. One of the major components of fixed orthodontic therapy is the choice of wires. Orthodontic wires are defined as devices consisting of a wire conforming to the alveolar or dental arch, used as an anchorage in correcting irregularities in the position of the teeth. The history of these materials is as old as that of fixed orthodontic treatments and they present different features. With proper general knowledge, doctors can differentiate between wires and use the sufficient wire sequence suitable for each patient. This can increase the quality of treatment. Therefore, the aim of the present review is to focus on the differences in features of wires as well as the sequence of leveling wire selection according to the treatment plan.