Dental anomalies were common in Saudi subjects with CLP type. This will complicate the health care required for the CL/P subjects. This study was conducted to epidemiologically explore the prevalence of dental anomalies among Saudi Arabian subjects with CLP.

The role of lower third molars in lower incisor crowding is a debatable topic. Some believe the presence or eruption of lower third molars is associated with the crowding of mandibular incisors, others negate such association. Thirty-two newly debonded orthodontic patients, with ages ranging from 14-19 years, were randomly selected. No retainers were used for the lower dental arch. Removal of tight interproximal contacts of the lower anterior teeth was created and maintained by periodic abrasive stripping every 2-3 months, if needed. The cases were followed up for one year. Orthopantomographs (OPGs) and study casts were taken at debonding (post-treatment) and at the end of the one year follow up (post retention). Statistical analysis of the lower third molar conditions – erupted, unerupted, or missing with or without sufficient space for their eruption – versus re-crowding of lower incisors was evaluated using Fisher's Exact Test. The results of this pilot study revealed there was no significant correlation between the different conditions of the lower third molars versus lower anterior re-crowding in the absence of tight interproximal incisal contacts; however, a larger sample size is needed to verify such findings. Citation Al-Balkhi KM . The Effect of Different Lower Third Molar Conditions on the Re-Crowding of Lower Anterior Teeth in the Absence of Tight Interproximal Contacts One-Year Post Orthodontic Treatment: A Pilot Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2004 August;(5)3:066-073.

Cephalometric norms are important to orthodontists in their diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of orthodontic treatment outcomes. The purpose of the present study is to establish if orthodontists treat and finish their cases to the cephalometric means or norms. Pre-and post-cephalometric radiographs and dental casts of 35 orthodontically treated cases were analyzed. The Kappa test, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test, Paired t-test, and Z-test were used for the statistical analysis of the data. The result revealed that orthodontists do not reach the cephalometric mean values post-treatment. However, sagittal maxillomandibular relationship and interlabial gap are the main areas of improvements. This leads to improvement of soft tissue esthetics by camouflaging the skeletal and dental relationship.

The orientation of the sella nasion (SN) line in lateral skull radiographs is important for accurate assessment of antero-posterior and vertical facial relationship. Lateral skull radiographs of a random sample were traced and digitized to produce a mean shape template of the sample, with the craniofacial centroid line (CFC) used as a base for superimposition of the sample. A geometrical triangle was formed using the sella nasion line, craniofacial centroid line and the mandibular plane as the sides of the triangle. Simple geometric calculations were done to re-orient both the mandibular plane and sella nasion line in cases with balanced clinical profiles, while the S-N-A and S-N-B measurements indicate otherwise.

The applicability of a newly introduced non-anatomical soft and hard tissue cephalometric centroid line (S&H centroid) was investigated. The "S&H centroid" line established from 12″ × 14″ lateral cephalometric radiographs of 57 selected adults was used as a base to create a new cephalometric reference line "Centroid-Nasion". The reliability and the use of the newly created "Centroid-Nasion" as a reference line was tested against the conventional "Sella-Nasion" cephalometric reference line to evaluate the sagittal and vertical maxillary and mandibular relationship. Pearson's correlation coefficient, one way ANOVA, and Tukey multiple comparison post Hoc statistical tests were used. The digitization technique was reliable. The "Centroid-Nasion" cephalometric reference line created by utilizing the "S&H centroid" line, was found to be as useful as the conventional "Sella-Nasion" cephalometric plane in establishing and differentiating between sagittal and vertical intermaxillary relationships.