Ana Catarina Oliveira

Background/Objectives: Hyperdontia is a dental developmental anomaly frequently associated with clinical complications such as delayed eruption, diastemas, and root resorption. This retrospective observational study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of supernumerary teeth in a Portuguese pediatric clinical population. Methods: Analyzing orthopantomograms from 1992 patients across two university clinics between 2016 and 2026, demographic and clinical variables were evaluated. The inclusion criteria comprised high-quality, accessible radiographs obtained within the last 10 years from patients aged between 5 and 18 years at the time of the examination. Results: The overall prevalence of supernumerary teeth was 1.66%. The mesiodens was the most common type, exclusively maxillary, predominantly conical, and highly impacted (86.7%). A non-significant male predilection was observed. The overall mean age at diagnosis for mesiodens was 9.87 ± 3.98 years. Posterior anomalies presented negligible prevalence (≤0.4%). Conclusions: These findings show the mesiodens as the primary supernumerary tooth. The high impaction rate at diagnosis highlights the diagnostic value of panoramic radiography when clinically indicated, supporting timely identification and individualized treatment planning.

The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) into orthodontics has facilitated automated cephalometric assessments, offering greater efficiency and minimizing human‐related inaccuracies. Nevertheless, the precision of AI‐driven systems, when compared with conventional digital analysis software, requires thorough validation. To evaluate the accuracy and consistency of AI‐assisted cephalometric analysis using WebCeph in relation to manual tracings performed using NemoCeph, which is regarded as the reference standard. Cephalometric radiographs were obtained from 50 adult patients. Linear and angular parameters were measured using NemoCeph and WebCeph, and statistical comparisons were performed. Data normality was verified using the Shapiro–Wilk test, while paired t ‐tests identified significant discrepancies. For the linear variables, the most notable differences occurred in S‐Ar, AO‐BO, overbite, and A‐Na‐Pog, with WebCeph occasionally overestimating or underestimating the results relative to NemoCeph. Regarding angular parameters, significant variations were identified in the sella angle, gonial angle, upper gonial angle, lower gonial angle, SNA, SNB, ANB, lower facial height, mandibular plane to S‐Na angle, occlusal plane to S‐Na angle, upper incisor to Na‐A angle, lower incisor to Na‐B angle, and lower incisor inclination. Differences were also statistically significant in determining the facial typology. WebCeph yields dependable outcomes for linear dental evaluations but demonstrates marked discrepancies in angular and vertical skeletal dimensions compared with NemoCeph. These findings underscore the importance of cautious clinical interpretation and suggest that AI‐based cephalometric tools should augment, rather than replace, expert orthodontic assessments.

Orthodontic mini-implants (MIs) are excellent alternative skeletal anchorage devices. Their stability is important for their survival, requiring appropriate torque application during insertion and removal. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the influences of the diameter and brand of MIs on their stability by measuring the maximum insertion and removal torques after they had been aged in a pH 7 artificial saliva for 4 weeks at 37 °C. Methods: Forty Ti6Al4V alloy MIs of two different brands and diameters were divided into four groups. They were placed in artificial bone blocks using the NSK^® Surgic Pro coupled with a digital torque gauge (Centor Touch Star TH^®) to measure the maximum insertion and removal torques. Results: After ageing, the Fatscrew (Fts) MIs were more stable when removed than the white brand (WB) MIs. The WB MIs lost stability over time, while the Fts MIs—especially the 2.0 mm ones—maintained good stability. Conclusions: The significant differences between the tested groups, especially the stability observed in the 2.0 mm Fts MIs compared to the other groups, highlight the importance of brand and diameter size in the effectiveness of MIs.

Introduction: Maxillary endognathia is a skeletal malocclusion that, if left untreated, can evolve into a complex malocclusion, which hinders facial development and creates breathing problems due to nasal constriction. In 2010, Lee and collaborators created a mini-implant-assisted rapid maxillary expansion (MARPE) technique. Objectives: To describe the MARPE protocol and its clinical effects. Materials and methods: A bibliographic search was carried out in the Pubmed, Science Direct, Scielo and Google Scholar databases referring to the last 10 years. Results: The search strategies described enabled 150 articles to be obtained which went through various selection stages. In the end, 15 articles were evaluated and selected for this review. Discussion: The MARPE technique has reduced the skeletal, dento-alveolar and periodontal side effects caused by conventional appliances, optimizing the potential for skeletal expansion in individuals with advanced stages of skeletal maturation. Conclusion: The MARPE appliance has bone and dental anchorage. The clinical effects include the opening of the maxilla in the frontal plane, an increase in the volume of the nasal cavity after expansion, an increase in the interzygomatic distance, an increase in the average width of the face and the width of the alar base and widening of the nose. There was also a decrease in buccal bone thickness and alveolar crest height and a buccal inclination in the premolars and molars. In carrying out this research, we found that there are few or practically no studies on the effect on the pulp cavity, root resorption and orbital volume.

The Invisalign^® system (SmartForce^® G8) aims to guarantee aesthetics and provide good orthodontic treatment results. Dentoalveolar expansion is possible with clear aligners and can be used to correct dentoalveolar crossbite, resolve crowding or modify the arch shape. Despite the treatment’s effectiveness, there is still disagreement among professionals concerning its true clinical potential. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and predictability of coronal tooth expansion movement in permanent dentition in patients who had completed the first phase of treatment with Invisalign^® orthodontic aligners. Materials and Methods: The tooth movement tables of 75 previously selected cases were analyzed in terms of dental-arch width and expansion efficiency, through the Invisalign^® platform, considering the pre-treatment (T0), planned treatment (TP) and post-treatment models (T1) using ClinCheck Pro^® 6.0 software. All patients were treated by an orthodontic specialist and Invisalign^® Diamond Provider in a private practice (T.P.). Results: Difference between T1 and T0: for each maxillary and mandibular measurement, there was a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-aligner treatment values. The greatest amount of expansion occurred in both the upper and the lower premolars. Difference between TP and T1: for each maxillary measurement, statistically significant differences were verified for the molar and canine. At the mandibular level, statistically significant differences were only verified in the first molar. Conclusions: The Invisalign^® clear aligners are effective for simultaneous intra-arch expansion in both jaws.

Coronal torque is one of the key factors in orthodontic treatment. An adequate torque value has an impact on aesthetics and soft tissue profile. The aim of this quantitative, comparative and observational longitudinal cohort study was to analyze the efficacy of the maxillary central incisor coronal torque in the Invisalign^® system and evaluate the relation between coronal torque movement and patient’s facial biotype. In total, 27 patients were selected. The planned movements (TP) were obtained from the Invisalign Doctor Site^® using mathematical formulas that consider the T0 measurements. Pre-treatment (T0) and after full use of the first set of aligners (T1) scanners were evaluated using Geomagic^® Control X ^TM by superimposing T0 and T1 models using a transverse plane and the long axis of the tooth crown. IBM^® SPSS^® software was used for statistical purposes. We found statistically significant differences between T0 and T1 in pro-inclination and retro-inclination, as well as between achieved and planned values in pro-inclination (p = 0.011). We verified that hyperdivergent clinical cases presented higher mean values of coronal torque, and hypodivergent cases presented lower values. In pro-inclination, the differences between the planned and achieved values were greater in hypodivergent cases and smaller in hyperdivergent cases. In retro-inclination, the differences between the planned and achieved values were greater in normodivergent cases and smaller in hypodivergent cases. This study highlights that inefficacy is more accentuated in pro-inclination. Aligners are an effective tool for producing coronal repercussions of torque movement, being more effective in retro-inclination.