BackgroundDuring the orthognathic surgery, it is important to know the exact anatomical location of the mandibular foramen to achieve successful anesthesia of inferior alveolar nerve and to prevent damage to the nerves and vessels supplying the mandible.MethodsCone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was used to determine the location of the mandibular foramen in 100 patients: 30 patients with normal occlusion (13 men, 17 women), 40 patients with skeletal class II malocclusion (15 men, 25 women), 30 patients with skeletal class III malocclusion (17 men, 13 women).ResultsThe distance from the anterior border of the mandibular ramus to mandibular foramen did not differ significantly among the three groups, but in the group with skeletal class III malocclusion, this distance was an average of 1.43 ± 1.95 mm longer in the men than in the women (p < 0.05). In the skeletal class III malocclusion group, the mandibular foramen was higher than in the other two groups and was an average of 1.85 ± 3.23 mm higher in the men than in the women for all three groups combined (p < 0.05). The diameter of the ramus did not differ significantly among the three groups but was an average of 1.03 ± 2.58 mm wider in the men than in the women for all three groups combined (p < 0.05). In the skeletal class III malocclusion group, the ramus was longer than in the other groups and was an average of 7.9 ± 3.66 mm longer in the men than women.ConclusionsThe location of the mandibular foramen was higher in the skeletal class III malocclusion group than in the other two groups, possibly because the ramus itself was longer in this group. This information should improve the success rate for inferior alveolar nerve anesthesia and decrease the complications that attend orthognathic surgery.

cc This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Purpose: This study was planned to clarify a negative view of chewing gum due to the concern that continuous gum chewing might cause a change in the gonial angle and make the lower facial appearance look square. Materials and Methods: We had 25 adults (13 males and 12 females, with an average of 27.3 years) chew 6 g of gum (spearmint) evenly with both right and left posterior teeth for one hour per day for three months. We then measured their gonial angle, the inclination of occlusal plane, facial height, bone marrow density, and masticatory force before chewing, 1, 2, and 3 month after chewing to verify its signifi cance statistically. Result: The results showed that the gonial angle increased from 122.7 o to 123.3 o (P>0.05), and thus the jaws became slightly slimmer. There was no change in the occlusal plane inclination and facial height. Meanwhile bone marrow density in the mandibular angle and ascending ramus increased from 0.285 g/cm 2 to 0.290 g/cm 2 (P<0.05), and masticatory force also increased by 0.5 kg on the right side and 0.8 kg on the left side (P<0.05). Conclusion: Continuous chewing of gum gives an appropriate exercise effect to the stomatognathic system. As chewing gum has effect on increase bone marrow density without changing the mandibular angle and facial appearance the claim that jaw bone changes to a square jaw through chewing gum is regarded to be groundless.

Surgical ciliated cysts occur primarily in the maxilla after radical maxillary sinus surgery. We report a first case of a surgical ciliated cyst that developed in the infratemporal fossa 25 years after the patient sustained severe facial trauma. The patient complained of mandibular pain and limited mouth opening. The patient’s condition was completely resolved 5 months after marsupialization via Le Fort I osteotomy. Surgical morbidities can be minimized by proper diagnosis and less invasive surgery.

Surgical ciliated cysts occur primarily in the maxilla after radical maxillary sinus surgery. We report the first case of a surgical ciliated cyst that developed in the infratemporal fossa 25 years after the patient sustained severe facial trauma. The patient complained of mandibular pain and limited mouth opening. The patient’s condition was completely resolved 5 months after marsupialization via Le Fort I osteotomy. Surgical morbidities can be minimized by proper diagnosis and less invasive surgery.