Carolina Carmo de Menezes

This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of female patients following completion of orthodontic treatment with conventional fixed appliances and clear aligners. It used a clinical qualitative design with, semi-structured interviews featuring open-ended questions. Participants were recruited from private orthodontic practices, and the sample size was determined by data saturation. The final group included six patients treated with conventional fixed appliances and nine patients treated with clear aligners. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis with peer validation of the categories. Seven categories emerged among patients treated with conventional fixed appliances: pain, discomfort, and hygiene difficulties; daily adaptations and restrictions; confidence in the professional; treatment duration; insecurity or embarrassment; desire to improve appearance; and satisfaction with treatment outcomes . For patients treated with clear aligners, seven categories were identified: practicality, comfort and hygiene; pain and discomfort related to use; treatment duration; willingness to recommend aligners; desire to improve appearance and appliance discretion; recommendation by the professional; and satisfaction. The findings show that, although patients with fixed appliances faced several challenges during treatment, aesthetic improvement was the main reason for seeking care, and overall satisfaction with the results was high. Patients who chose clear aligners aimed to avoid common limitations of fixed appliances and emphasized benefits related to comfort, convenience, oral hygiene, and discretion. These results highlight the importance of qualitative methods for understanding patient perspectives and can guide clinical communication and shared decision-making in adult orthodontic treatment.

Aim: This prospective clinical study evaluated the cephalometric effects of orthodontic treatment with lower incisor extraction associated with buccal torque. Methods: Cephalograms were evaluated at the beginning (T1) and the end (T2) of orthodontic treatment of 20 patients with a mean age of 32.2 years, Angle Class I malocclusion, and anteroinferior crowding. Orthodontic treatment was performed with a MBT prescription bracket, 0.022” slot with modified torque programming in the lower incisors (central and lateral: +6º), and a single lower incisor was extracted. Cephalometric measurements were performed using Dolphin® software by a single calibrated examiner. Data analysis was performed using the t-test for dependent samples, with a significance level of 5%. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed in the cephalometric measurements evaluated (p≥0.194). Conclusions: Orthodontic treatment carried out with extraction of lower incisors and associated with buccal torque did not promote dental and tegumentary cephalometric changes, positively impacting the completion of the treatment.

Introduction The extraction of permanent teeth, particularly premolars, has been a subject of debate in orthodontics centered on the space requirements for resolving malocclusion and its potential impact on the development of dental arches.

The aim of this study was to compare the esthetic, functional, and psychosocial impact of mandibular crowding and maxillary midline diastema in black adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 420 black (brown and black, distinguished according to Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics – IBGE) adolescents aged 12 with normal occlusal relationships. Esthetic (OASIS) and functional/psychosocial (OHIP-14) impact related to the need for orthodontic treatment in groups with mandibular crowding and maxillary midline diastema, and those without these conditions: G1, without crowding and diastema (n 113); G2, without crowding and with diastema (n 67); G3, with crowding and without diastema (n 202); and G4, diastema, and crowding (n 38) were evaluated. Generalized linear models were estimated for the effects of diastema, crowding, and the interaction between them, with a significance level of 5%. There was no significant influence of crowding and diastema on the OHIP-14 (p>0.05). However, the groups with diastema had higher OASIS scores, irrespective of crowding (p<0.05). The maxillary midline diastema influenced the esthetic perception of black adolescents.

To determine the prevalence of the need for orthodontic treatment, anxiety, and probable sleep bruxism and its association in adolescents.

This study aimed to assess and correlate initial surface roughness and frictional resistance of rectangular CuNiTi wires inserted in different self-ligating brackets. The sample consisted of 40 bracket-wire sets (rectangular CuNiTi wires of 0.017" x 0.025" and passive self-ligating brackets) divided into four groups (n=10): metallic self-ligating bracket and metallic CuNiTi wire (G1); metallic self-ligating bracket and rhodium-coated CuNiTi wire (G2); esthetic self-ligating bracket and metallic wire (G3); esthetic self-ligating bracket and rhodium-coated CuNiTi wire (G4). The initial surface roughness of the wires was examined with a Surfcorder roughness meter, model SE1700. Later, frictional resistance was assessed in an Instron 4411 universal testing machine at a speed of 5 mm/min, in an aqueous medium at 35°C. Microscopic analyses of surface morphology were performed with scanning electron microscopy, using an LEO 1430, with magnifications of 1000X. Generalized linear models were applied, considering the 2 x 2 factorial (bracket type x wire type), at a 5% significance level. Regardless of bracket type, the groups with esthetic wires presented higher initial surface roughness than the groups with metallic wires (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the different bracket-wire sets for frictional resistance and no significant correlation between frictional resistance and initial surface roughness in the environment studied. It is concluded that esthetic wires presented higher initial surface roughness but did not interfere with the frictional resistance between brackets and wires.

Background: Mixed dentition determines an important period of occlusion development in childhood.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the aesthetic impact of the midline diastema cut‐off point in mixed dentition.Design: A cross‐sectional study was performed with 257 children aged 8‐10 years in late mixed dentition, with midline diastema of 1‐5 mm and normal maxillary overjet. Orthodontic Aesthetic Subjective Impact Score determined the aesthetic impact of the midline diastema. Four quartiles of diastema measurements and impact scores were considered as cut‐off points. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were constructed, and the distances representing the distances to the ideal point were calculated. The Yuden index determined the efficiency of measuring the diastema to assess the aesthetic impact. The Kruskal‐Wallis test compared the groups of participants classified according to the diastema cut‐off by the sample quartile regarding the impact score. The analyses were performed with a significance level of 5%.Results: There was no significant difference between the four groups of measurement quartiles of the diastema regarding the aesthetic impact (P > .05).Conclusions: The perception of dental aesthetics in mixed dentition children was not affected by the midline diastema, regardless of the cut‐off point.

Introduction Orthodontic movement can cause painful symptoms, especially in the early stages of treatment. Objective This study aimed to compare the performance of chewing gum and ibuprofen in pain control during the initial period of orthodontic treatment. Material and method A randomized blind clinical trial, with an allocation ratio of 1:1, was developed with patients aged ≥18 years old. The sample size was established considering a significance level of 5% and test power of 80%, resulting in a minimum of 30 volunteers per group (n=90). Participants were paired regarding sex, age, the severity of malocclusion, defined by the Dental Health Component (DHC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN), and crowding, determined by Little’s irregularity index. The sample was randomly allocated to three groups: Group I (control) placebo; Group II chewing gum; and Group III Ibuprofen. Pain perception was evaluated by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) in the first 24, 36, and 48 hours after activation of the orthodontic appliance. The data were analyzed by generalized linear models for repeated measures in time. Result No statistically significant difference (p>0.05) was observed among the groups for the methods of pain therapy evaluated in 24, 36, and 48 hours post-activation. Conclusion There was no difference among the method used for pain control during the orthodontic treatment.