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BackgroundThe detection and quantification of skeletal asymmetries is a fundamental component to diagnosis and treatment planning in orthodontics. The purpose of this study was to identify and quantify the characteristics of facial and dental asymmetries in a normal, adolescent population using 3D imaging.MethodsThirty consecutive Class I patients (mean age 14.32 years, SD 1.67) meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed by three-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Dental, maxillary, mandibular, and cranial base variables were measured with Dolphin 3D. CBCT analysis consisted of the localization of 34 anatomical landmarks. All reference points were digitized in 3D and analyzed using 67 skeletal and dental measurements. Student's t tests for paired samples were used with a significance level of p < 0.05.ResultsMinor right-left discrepancies were noted in all planes. The most anterior point of the glenoid fossa and most condylar points were positioned more superior and lateral on the right side, compared to the left side. Porion was also located more superiorly on the right side relative to the left side. The posterior nasal spine was found to be located to the right of the midsagittal plane. Slight dental midline discrepancies were found, and the dental arch lengths were slightly longer on the left side compared to the right. The height of the ramus, in both 3D and 2D, and the inclination of the ramus were greater on the right than that on the left side.ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest minor asymmetries exist and are likely a common occurrence in the normal human craniofacial complex. Additionally, a natural compensatory mechanism may exist which controls the size and shape of specific tissues in order to maintain functional symmetry.

A comparison was made of noise levels in different types of schools. The results indicate that noise levels in elementary and secondary schools are unlikely to seriously hinder the selective use of a hearing aid. Noise levels in kindergartens were shown to constitute a serious problem in the effective use of amplification by young children in school.

Background Physical therapy (PT) has been shown to be one of the most effective conservative treatments for temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Not all dentists are aware of the importance of the collaboration with physical therapists in the treatment of TMD pain. Objectives To determine the awareness of dentists in Florida about the importance of PT for TMD pain and to create awareness related to collaborations. Methods An online questionnaire was used. A contact list of dentists was obtained from the Florida Dental Association. The overall awareness and information on patient referral were presented per dentist specialty. Results A total of 256 dentists completed the survey. Prior to the survey, 41% of the dentists reported not aware that PTs can treat TMD patients. Oral surgeons and orthodontists were more aware about PT compared to other specialties. After the survey, 81% of the dentists were more likely to refer their TMD patients to PT, and 80% were interested to know more about the benefits of collaborations. Conclusion This study shows the lack of dentists' awareness in Florida about the benefits of PT for TMD treatment. This study increased the awareness of the surveyed dentists in Florida about the benefit from a multidisciplinary approach.

Twenty normal-hearing college students were tested to establish speech discrimination scores under three conditions of sensory input and four conditions of frequency filtering. The speech material used comprised Phonetically Balanced Monosyllabic words from CID Auditory Test W-22. The speech sample was presented under the following sensory input conditions: (1) vision alone, (2) audition alone, (3) vision and audition combined. The frequency spectrum of the speech sample was varied by a filter system to produce the following approximate band widths: (1) unfiltered, (2) 400 Hz low pass, (3) 1800 Hz high pass, (4) 400–2200 Hz band pass. The results indicate that the mode of presentation, frequency filter band widths, and interaction of mode of presentation and frequency filter band widths, all effect speech discrimination. Greater dependency on visual clues was evidenced as auditory distortion increased. The data were found to be significant at the 0.01 level of confidence.