Influence of maxillary incisor edge asymmetries on the perception of smile esthetics among orthodontists and laypersons

Introduction: Our objective was to determine the perception of smile esthetics among orthodontists and laypeople with respect to asymmetries on the maxillary incisor edges in a frontal smile analysis. Methods: Two frontal close-up smile photos of 2 women, 1 white and 1 Afro-Brazilian, were selected for this study. Both smiles displayed healthy maxillary anterior dentitions. The images were digitally altered to create tooth wear on the maxillary left central and lateral incisors in 0.5-mm increments. The final images were randomly assembled into a photo album that was given to 120 judges, 60 orthodontists and 60 laypersons. Each rater was asked to evaluate the attractiveness of the images with visual analog scales. The data collected were statistically analyzed with 1-way analysis of variance with the Tukey post-hoc test and the unpaired Student t test. Results: The most attractive smiles in both types of smiles were those without asymmetries and the 0.5-mm wear in the lateral incisor. In general, tooth wear was considered unattractive by both groups of raters following a pattern: the more tooth wear, the more unattractive the smile; tooth wear in the central incisor was considered more unattractive than in the lateral incisor. For both group of raters, 0.5 mm of wear in the central incisor was considered unattractive, whereas the thresholds for lateral incisor discrepancies were 0.5 mm for orthodontists and 1.0 mm for laypersons. Conclusions: The result of this study corroborates the clinical assumption that symmetry between the maxillary central incisors is a paramount goal for esthetic treatments. Copyright © 2013 by the American Association of Orthodontists.

Effect of the treatment of root surface-adhered necrotic periodontal ligament with propolis or fluoride in delayed rat tooth replantation

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the application of 15 % propolis and 2 % acidulated-phosphate sodium fluoride solutions on the root surface-adhered necrotic cemental periodontal ligament in delayed tooth replantation. Materials and methods: Thirty Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus, albinus) had their right upper incisor extracted and maintained in dry storage for 60 min. After this period, the dental papilla, enamel organ, and pulp tissue were removed, and the animals were randomly assigned to three groups: group I = immersion in saline for 10 min; group II = immersion in a 2 % acidulated-phosphate sodium fluoride solution for 10 min; and group III = immersion in a 15 % propolis and propylene glycol solution for 10 min. The root canals were filled with a calcium hydroxide paste and the teeth were replanted. Results: Inflammatory resorption, replacement resorption, and ankylosis were observed in all groups without a statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) among them. Conclusions: Under the tested conditions, the application of fluoride or propolis on root surface-adhered necrotic periodontal ligament did not favor the healing process in delayed tooth replantation. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

The effect of chronic treatment with fluoride on salivary activity, tooth, and bone in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Aesthetic rehabilitation of a complicated crown-root fracture of the maxillary incisor: combination of orthodontic and implant treatment

The aim of this paper is to present a complex rehabilitation, of fractured tooth, with implants in anterior region considering the orthodontics extrusion to clinical success. At 7 years old, the patient fractured the maxillary left central incisor and the dentist did a crown with the fragment. Twenty years later, the patient was referred to a dental clinic for orthodontic treatment, with the chief complaint related to an accentuated deep bite, and a professional started an orthodontic treatment. After sixteen months of orthodontic treatment, tooth 21 fractured. The treatment plan included an orthodontic extrusion of tooth 21 and implant placement. This case has been followed up and the clinical and radiographic examinations show excellence esthetic results and satisfaction of patient. The forced extrusion can be a viable treatment option in the management of crown root fracture of an anterior tooth to gain bone in a vertical direction. This case emphasizes that to achieve the esthetic result a multidisciplinary approach is necessary.

Fragment reattachment after atypical crown fracture in maxillary central incisor

Background. Fracture by trauma is one of the most common types of dental injury in the permanent dentition among children and teenagers. Aim. The aim of this study was to report the treatment performed to an atypical dental trauma case in a maxillary central incisor of a young patient by means of reattachment of the tooth fragment. Case Description. A 12-year-old male patient suffered a vertical crown fracture to the maxillary right central incisor. After clinical and radiographic examinations, a conservative restorative treatment which consisted in the reattachment of the tooth fragment with flow resin was performed in order to preserve the dental element and to obtain maximum aesthetics. Conclusion. The reattachment of fractured fragment is a fast and easy technique that can be used successfully as an option to restore dental element which suffered trauma. Clinical Significance. This technique restores the aesthetics and function of the dental element with minimal discomfort to the patient.

Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH): conservative treatment management to restore affected teeth

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 12-month clinical performance of glass ionomer restorations in teeth with MIH. First permanent molars affected by MIH (48) were restored with glass ionomer cement (GIC) and evaluated at baseline, at 6 and at 12 months, by assessing tooth enamel breakdown, GIC breakdown and caries lesion associations. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and actuarial survival analysis. The likelihood of a restored tooth remaining unchanged at the end of 12 months was 78%. No statistically significant difference was observed in the association between increased MIH severity and caries at baseline (p > 0.05) for a 6-month period, or between increased MIH severity and previous unsatisfactory treatment at baseline (p > 0.05) for both a 6- and 12-month period. A statistically significant difference was observed in the association between increased MIH severity and extension of the restoration, involving 2 or more surfaces (p < 0.05) at both periods, and between increased MIH severity and caries at baseline (p < 0.05) at a 12-month period. Because the likelihood of maintaining the tooth structures with GIC restorations is high, invasive treatment should be postponed until the child is sufficiently mature to cooperate with the treatment, mainly of teeth affected on just one face.

Optimizing maxillary aesthetics of a severe compromised tooth through orthodontic movement and dental implants

Treatment of severe compromised tooth in the maxillary anterior area still poses great challenge to the clinicians. Several treatment modalities have been proposed to restore the function and aesthetics in teeth with advanced periodontal disease. The present study aims to report a case of traumatic injury of a left-maxillary central incisor with ridge preservation, orthodontic movement, and implant therapy. A 45-year-old woman underwent the proposed treatment for her left central incisor: basic periodontal therapy, xenogenous bone graft, and guided bone regeneration (GBR). Six months after the graft procedure, orthodontic movement by means of alignment and leveling was made and a coronal displacement of the gingival margin and vertical bone apposition could be observed after 13 months of active movement. Afterwards, a dental implant was placed followed by a connective tissue graft and immediate provisionalization of the crown. In conclusion, orthodontic movement was effective to improve the gingival tissue and alveolar bone prior to implant placement favoring the aesthetic results. Six years postoperatively, the results revealed height and width alveolar bone gain indicating that the treatment proposed was able to restore all the functional and aesthetic parameters.

Early treatment of an intruded primary tooth: a case report

The report is about a case of total intrusion of a deciduous central incisor involving a male patient of 14 months of age. Repositioning of the intruded tooth was performed 20 minutes after the trauma, followed by placement with sutures. Clinical and radiographic monitoring performed after 1, 2, 4, 9, and 13 months showed normal characteristics. We emphasize the development of preventive programs promoting parental awareness of the importance of looking for prompt care, resulting in a better prognosis.

Uncommon crown-root fracture treated with adhesive tooth fragment reattachment: 7 years of follow-up

Crown-root fractures account for 5% of all fractures in permanent teeth and can involve enamel, dentin, and cementum. Depending on whether there is pulpal involvement, these problems may be classified as complicated (which are more common) or noncomplicated. The treatment depends on the level of the fracture line, root length and/or morphology, and esthetic needs. Several treatment strategies are available for esthetic and functional rehabilitation in crown-root fractures. Adhesive tooth fragment reattachment is the most conservative restorative option when the tooth fragment is available and the biological width has no or minimal violation. This article reports a case of an uncomplicated crown-root fracture in the permanent maxillary right central incisor of a young patient who received treatment with adhesive tooth fragment reattachment, preserving the anatomic characteristics of the fractured tooth after periodontal intervention. The fracture line of the fragment had an unusual shape, starting on the palatal side and extending to the buccal side subgingivally. After 7 years, the attached coronal fragment remained in position with good esthetics, as well as clinical and radiographic signs of pulpal vitality, periodontal health, and root integrity, thus indicating success.

Molar incisor hypomineralization: considerations about treatment in a controlled longitudinal case

Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a defect in the tooth enamel of systemic origin and may affect one or all four first permanent molars frequently associated with the permanent incisors. This case reports a 7-year-old child with severe MIH in the permanent molars associated with tooth decay and intense pain. In the first stage of treatment, therapy was performed with fluoride varnish and restoration with glass ionomer cement (GIC). After 6 years of clinical and radiographic follow-up, the restorations presented wear and fractures on the margins, indicating their replacement with composite resin. Severe cases of MIH in the early permanent molars can be treated with varnish and GIC to restore the patient's comfort and strengthen the hypomineralized dental structures. The clinical and radiographic monitoring frequently indicated when the restoration with composite resin should be performed.

Longitudinal evaluation of the structural integrity of teeth affected by molar incisor hypomineralisation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Delayed tooth replantation after treatment of necrotic periodontal ligament with citric acid

Objective: to evaluated the effect of treating root-adhered necrotic periodontal ligament (PDL) with citric acid on the healing process in delayed rat tooth replantation. Material and Methods: Forty Wistar rats, assigned to 4 groups (n=10), had their upper right incisor extracted and kept dry on a workbench. For Group I (control), the teeth were replanted after a 5 min extra-alveolar time. For the other groups, replantation was hydroxide-based paste and the teeth were replanted with no root surface treatment. In Group III, the teeth were immersed in citric acid (pH 1) for replanted. In Group IV, instead of the immersion, the roots were scrubbed with gauze soaked in citric acid and the teeth were replanted. The animals difference (p > 0.05) was found among the groups regarding the areas difference (p < 0.05) between the control group and Group IV regarding ankylosis. The control group showed the least replacement resorption percent means compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). The root structure was more affected by replacement resorption and ankylosis in Group IV statistically (p > 0.05). Conclusion: the treatment of root surface-adhered necrotic periodontal ligament with citric acid was not able to prevent the delayed rat tooth replantation.

Delayed tooth repalantetion after treatment of necrotic periodontal ligament with citric acid

Objective: to evaluated the effect of treating root-adhered necrotic periodontal ligament (PDL) with citric acid on the healing process in delayed rat tooth replantation. Material and Methods: Forty Wistar rats, assigned to 4 groups (n=10), had their upper right incisor extracted and kept dry on a workbench. For Group I (control), the teeth were replanted after a 5 min extra-alveolar time. For the other groups, replantation was done after 60 min. In Group II, the root canals were filled with a calcium hydroxide-based paste and the teeth were replanted with no root surface treatment. In Group III, the teeth were immersed in citric acid (pH 1) for 3 min, the canals were filled with calcium hydroxide and the teeth were replanted. In Group IV, instead of the immersion, the roots were scrubbed with gauze soaked in citric acid and the teeth were replanted. The animals were sacrificed 60 days postoperatively. Results: Regarding replacement resorption, there was statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the control group and the other three groups. No statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) was found among the groups regarding the areas of inflammatory resorption. There was also a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the control group and Group IV regarding ankylosis. The control group showed the least replacement resorption percent means compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). The root structure was more affected by replacement resorption and ankylosis in Group IV compared to the Groups II and III, but this difference was not significant statistically (p > 0.05). Conclusion: the treatment of root surface-adhered necrotic periodontal ligament with citric acid was not able to prevent the occurrence of ankylosis, root resorption and inflammatory resorption in delayed rat tooth replantation.

Relationship between the morphology of the maxillary central incisor and horizontal and vertical measurements of the face

Purpose: In order to assist in the selection of artificial teeth for complete dentures, this study aimed to assess the relationship between horizontal and vertical measurements of the face and the morphology of the maxillary central incisor. Materials and Methods: This was a study of 50 plaster casts and 100 teleradiographs - 50 in lateral norm and 50 in frontal norm, belonging to 50 individuals, Caucasian, with a naturally optimal occlusion, matching at least four of the six keys of Andrews. Images of the upper central incisors were obtained by scanning the plaster casts (three-dimensional) and subjectively classified by three examiners as oval, triangular or quadrangular. Facial measures (vertical and horizontal) were defined by means of teleradiographs. In order to check inter-examiner agreement on the classification of central incisor, the Kappa test was used. To verify whether data had normal distribution, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used ( P > 0.2) was used. One-way analysis of variance was employed to assess the association between variables (P > 0.05). Results: When vertical measurements were compared with the three incisor shapes, there was no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05): Triangular (0.54), oval (0.63) and quadrangular (0.51). Similarly, no difference (P > 0.05) was found for facial width (139.08, 143.37, 141.65), maxillary width (76.68, 78.99, 76.91) and mandibular width (103.47, 105.50, 103.11). Conclusions: The majority of cases showed that horizontal and vertical measurements of the face cannot be used as a reference for determining the morphology of the maxillary central incisor crown. It is relevant to analyze and compare other morphological structures to improve the oral health-related quality of life for the conventional denture wearer.

Celecoxib treatment does not alter recruitment and activation of osteoclasts in the initial phase of experimental tooth movement

In a previous study, we reported that the short-term treatment with celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) attenuates the activation of brain structures related to nociception and does not interfere with orthodontic incisor separation in rats. The conclusion was that celecoxib could possibly be prescribed for pain in orthodontic patients. However, we did not analyze the effects of this drug in periodontium. The aim of this follow-up study was to analyze effects of celecoxib treatment on recruitment and activation of osteoclasts and alveolar bone resorption after inserting an activated orthodontic appliance between the incisors in our rat model. Twenty rats (400420 g) were pretreated through oral gavage with celecoxib (50 mg/kg) or vehicle (carboxymethylcellulose 0.4%). After 30 min, they received an activated (30 g) orthodontic appliance, set not to cause any palate disjunction. In sham animals, the appliance was immediately removed after introduction. All animals received ground food and, every 12 h, celecoxib or vehicle. After 48 h, they were anesthetized and transcardiacally perfused through the aorta with 4% formaldehyde. Subsequently, maxillae were removed, post-fixed and processed for histomorphometry or immunohistochemical analyses. As expected, incisor distalization induced an inflammatory response with certain histological changes, including an increase in the number of active osteoclasts at the compression side in group treated with vehicle (appliance: 32.2 +/- 2.49 vs sham: 4.8 +/- 1.79, P<0.05) and celecoxib (appliance: 31.0 +/- 1.45 vs sham: 4.6 +/- 1.82, P<0.05). The treatment with celecoxib did not modify substantially the histological alterations and the number of active osteoclasts after activation of orthodontic appliance. Moreover, we did not see any difference between the groups with respect to percentage of bone resorption area. Taken together with our previous results we conclude that short-term treatment with celecoxib can indeed be a therapeutic alternative for pain relieve during orthodontic procedures.