A sincle AIGaAs diode LLLT application may be indicated for the control or reduction of pain in the early stages of orthodontic treatment.

Objective: To investigate the impact of malocclusion on adolescents' dissatisfaction with dental appearance and oral functions and to identify components of malocclusion that may contribute to these outcomes. Materials and Methods: The sample comprised 704 secondary school adolescents aged 12 to 13 years from Balneá rio Camboriú , Brazil. A trained and calibrated orthodontist examined the severity of malocclusion using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). A pretested questionnaire was used to assess reported dental appearance, self-perception of speech, and self-perception of masticatory function using a 5-point scale of oral health status. The outcomes of the present study were dissatisfaction with dental appearance and dissatisfaction with oral functions. Simple and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between DAI and outcomes and to quantify the effect of DAI components on dissatisfaction with dental appearance. Results: Each DAI unit increase led to a significant increase of 5% in the likelihood of dissatisfaction with dental appearance (OR: 1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.08). DAI components that exerted influence on dissatisfaction with dental appearance were: missing teeth (P 5 .010), largest maxillary anterior irregularity $3 mm (P 5 .013), and largest mandibular anterior irregularity $2 mm (P 5 .008). There was no association between severity of malocclusion and dissatisfaction with oral functions. Conclusions: Severity of malocclusion interfered with satisfaction of dental appearance in this population. Missing teeth and anterior irregularity were identified as factors influencing this outcome. (Angle Orthod. 2012;82:403-409.)

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PURPOSEThis article provides an overview of dental ceramics. It addresses possible modes of failure and factors that may influence the decision to either repair or replace ceramic restorations. The authors' intention was to present ceramic repair as a reliable, low-cost, low-risk technique.

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