In young individuals diagnosed with maxillary deficiency treated with reverse headgear, the nasopharyngeal airway dimensions were improved after the treatment, and favorable effects of the treatment remained over the posttreatment period of 4 years.

No abstract

The objective of this study was to examine if chin cup therapy have any adverse effect on the sagittal pharyngeal dimensions in Class III malocclusion patients. Twenty patients (10 girls and 10 boys; mean age 10.31 +/- 1.15 years) with skeletal Class III malocclusion, and an untreated control group (8 girls and 10 boys, mean age 9.89 +/- 1.55 years) were evaluated. The chin cup appliance and an occlusal bite plate with 600 grams totally was used for 9.78 +/- 0.93 months. Linear, angular and area measurements were evaluated on the cephalometric radiographs taken before and after observation and treatment periods. Treatment changes showed significant increases in maxillary forward position, effective length of the maxilla and the mandible, and vertical facial height measurements. The mandible showed a clockwise rotation revealed by the decrease in SNB and the increase in mandibular plane angles. Significant increase in the nasopharyngeal area was found when the treatment and control groups were compared. The nasopharyngeal airway area was affected by chin cup treatment, without any adverse effect on the pharyngeal airway dimensions in the short term.

In growing Class 2 patients with mandibular deficiency and airway track without obstructions, functional appliance treatment provided favorable effects on nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal area throughout the retention period.

Objective: To determine pain during debonding and the effects of different pain control methods, gender, and personal traits on the pain experience. Materials and Methods: Patients who had fixed orthodontic treatment with metal brackets, but no surgical treatment or craniofacial deformity, were included. Sixty-three patients (32 female, aged 17.2 6 2.9 years; 31 male aged, 17.2 6 2.5 years) were allocated to three groups (n ¼ 21) according to the pain control method: finger pressure, elastomeric wafer, or stress relief. Pain experience for each tooth was scored on a visual analogue scale (VAS), and general responses of participants to pain were evaluated by Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Multiple linear regression analysis, the Mann Whitney U-test, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: When the VAS scores were adjusted, finger pressure caused a 47% reduction overall, 56% in lower elastomer wafer total, 59% in lower right arch, 62% in lower left, and 62% in lower anterior compared with the elastomeric wafer. In the elastomer wafer group, upper and lower anterior scores were higher than posterior scores, respectively. Females had higher VAS (lower left and anterior) and total PCS scores than males. Regardless of the pain control method, total PCS scores were correlated with total (r ¼ .254), upper total (r ¼ .290), right (r ¼ .258), left (r ¼ .244), and posterior (r ¼ .278) VAS scores. Conclusions: The stress relief method showed no difference when compared with the other groups. Finger pressure was more effective than the elastomeric wafer in the lower jaw. Higher pain levels were recorded for the anterior regions with the elastomeric wafer. Females and pain catastrophizers gave higher VAS scores. (Angle Orthod. 2016;86:917-924)