The purpose of this follow-up prospective longitudinal study was to determine what changes occurred in the condyle/fossa relationship after treatment. Orthodontic posttreatment records, including corrected tomograms of 106 white patients (58 Class I and 48 Class II Division 1), from a pretreatment sample of 232 patients, were analyzed. The average pretreatment age was 13.6 ± 3.0 years. The average length of treatment was 2.3 ± 0.6 years for the Class I group and 2.8 ± 0.9 years for the Class II Division 1 group. With orthodontic treatment, the condyle became more concentrically positioned, and a significant (P <.05) decrease in left and right anterior, posterior, and superior joint spaces was observed in most subjects. There was no statistically significant correlation between changes in the condyle/fossa relationship based on age, gender, skeletal or dental variables, signs or symptoms of temporomandibular disorder, headgear use, type of elastics, or nonextraction vs extraction treatment. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2002;122:486-90)
The wear resistance of tooth enamel that had undergone eight different treatments regarding the bonding procedure has been investigated. In comparison to sound enamel, the outer 3 microns of the etched-surface enamel show a decreased wear resistance against toothbrushing in vitro. Remineralization, either direct or preceded by acidified phosphated fluoride (APF) application, did not improve the wear resistance. The prophylactic effect of the APF treatment of etched enamel is considerable and is not lost after the soft, outer surface layer has worn off.
The aim of the present article was to identify morphologic characteristics in the craniofacial skeleton of the 11-year-old child that could indicate potential development of a Class III skeletal pattern. A radiographic material consisting of 24 children (13 girls, 11 boys) at an average age of 11 years 0 months, who in adulthood demonstrated a Class III skeletal pattern, was compared with a control group of 33 children (16 boys, 17 girls, average age 11 years 6 months) chosen retrospectively on the basis of Class I occlusion. The analysis was performed by means of both linear and angular variables and results are reported both as group means and individual analyses. No one morphologic trait indicative of potential Class III development could be isolated because the study clearly demonstrated the existence of different skeletal combinations. The development of the maxilla, both in size and position, was clearly demonstrated by the linear analysis to be an etiologic factor in Class III development. However, maxillary retrognathism was usually masked in the angular analysis because a reduction in length of the anterior base with subsequent effect on the position of point nasion was often seen in these cases. Mandibular prognathism was a frequent observation, although a true macrognathia was uncommon. In the majority of cases, mandibular prognathism was the result of an increase in the ratio between mandibular length and dorsal position of the glenoid fossa (articulare). The relative merits of angular and linear analyses are discussed in relation to the results presented.
