One of the first questions asked by new orthodontic patients is: How long will I need to wear my braces? A multitude of factors have the potential to influence the answer to this question. The purpose of this retrospective study was to identify some of the primary factors that influence orthodontic treatment duration. Few studies have attempted to evaluate these factors. Data were gathered from 140 consecutively completed, comprehensive treatment patient records in five orthodontic offices. Thirty-one variables related to patient characteristics, diagnostic factors, modality of treatment, and patient cooperation were evaluated. Average treatment time was 28.6 months with a range of 23.4 to 33.4 months among the five offices. Nearly half (46.9%) of the variation in treatment duration was explained by a five-step multiple regression analysis. Included in the regression equation were the number of missed appointments, the number of replaced brackets and bands, the number of treatment phases, the number of negative chart entries regarding oral hygiene, and the prescription of headgear wear during treatment. An additional 6.7% of the variance was explained by variation among the five offices. Six of the 31 variables examined made a statistically significant (alpha =.01) contribution to the explanation of variation in treatment time. The quality of the finished cases and the appropriateness of the original diagnosis and treatment plan were not evaluated. Developing an objective assessment to evaluate these areas may be important for increasing our understanding of treatment time variation.

The purpose of this study was to compare the bond strengths of three different adhesive systems when used alone and combined with a porcelain priming agent to bond ceramic brackets to porcelain surfaces. Sixty porcelain specimens were randomly assigned to the six different treatment groups. Half were bonded with the porcelain priming agent and one of the adhesive systems and the other half with one of the adhesive systems alone. The shear bond strengths of all specimens were tested, with an Instron testing machine, 10 minutes after being bonded. The surface of the porcelain and the bracket base were examined, with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and qualitative energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDS), to determine the bond failure patterns and to check the porcelain surface for the presence of cracks and fractures. There was a statistically significant difference within each adhesive between those samples with the priming agent and those without the priming agent. Differences between the three adhesives were not statistically significant to ≤ 0.05). (AM J ORTHOD DENTOFAC ORTHOP 1994;106:358-64.)

Epidemiological studies have suggested that deep overbite is associated with symptoms of temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD). This finding was directly tested by deliberately constituted groups of deep and normal overbite subjects matched for age and sex. Eighty-one subjects participated. Dependent measures included the TMJ Scale test; measures of muscle activity in the right and left frontalis, temporalis, and masseter muscles; and pressure threshold meter readings for the same sites. The results showed no differences between deep and normal overbite subjects for all the dependent measures studied. The role of overbite alone in producing TMD symptoms is questioned.

This study compared counterrotational-action power toothbrushing with manual toothbrushing in effectiveness on plaque control and gingival health in 20 randomly selected orthodontic patients at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A blind two-group crossover design was used. Gingival and plaque scores were recorded, and a prophylaxis was given to bring the plaque score to zero. Ten subjects received counterrotational power brushes, and ten subjects received manual brushes. Instructions appropriate to each brushing method were given by a hygienist. At 30 and 60 days, plaque and gingival scores were recorded and a prophylaxis was given. At 60 days the subjects who were using power brushes were switched to manual brushes, and the subjects who were using manual brushes were switched to power brushes. At 30 and 60 days, plaque and gingival scores were recorded and a prophylaxis was given. Plaque and gingival scores were significantly less (p less than 0.01) after brushing 2 months with the counterrotational power brush than with the manual brush. This finding was irrespective of the sequence in which the brushes were used.

This article summarizes the use of rare earth screen technology to achieve high-quality panoramic and cephalometric radiographs with sizable reductions in patient radiation dosage. Collimation, shielding, quality control, and darkroom procedures are reviewed to further reduce patient risk and improve image quality.

Bracket recycling has emerged concurrently with the practice of direct bonding. This study was undertaken to determine the effect of recycling on the retention of mesh-backed stainless steel brackets. Mesh strand diameter was measured on forty new brackets. These brackets were bonded to recently extracted human premolar teeth, and the tensile force required to fracture each bond was recorded. The brackets were then reconditioned by a thermal process. The mesh strand size was remeasured and the tensile test was repeated. It was found that (1) mesh strand diameter decreased 7 percent during the reconditioning process (93.89 μ ± 3.17 S.D. compared to 87.07 μ ± 4.76 S.D., z = 17.62, P < 1 × 10−5), (2) new bracket bonds were 6 percent stronger than recycled bracket bonds (43.88 pounds ± 7.98 S.D. bond strength), and (3) reduction in mesh strand diameter during the reconditioning process did not correlate with changes in bond strength between initial and recycled bonding (Pearson r = 0.038).

User-calibrated cephalometric templates have been presented for boys and girls at the ages of 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 years. The templates were derived by geometric triangulation from normative data published in An Atlas of Craniofacial Growth. A technique for using the templates diagnostically has also been presented.