In the absence of early orthodontic treatment, is there a loss of chance?

Chance is the probability that something will happen, and, in this sense, the absence of chance can be defined as the damage resulting from the disappearance of the probability of a favorable outcome (the contrary being the non-realization of the risk). This is autonomous damage that should be differentiated from final damage. Moral damage is a notion very close to the loss of chance even though it reposes on the indemnization of a final damage of an affection or malady. This article deals with these matters: an insufficient amount of information, the cause of final damage or the loss of chance, the loss of chance being a function of the deficit of information. In this sense, can the failure to begin early, appropriate dento-facial orthopedic treatment be considered a loss of chance for the child?     

Application of principles of evidence-based medicine to occlusal treatment for temporomandibular disorders: are there lessons to be learned?

Critical evaluation of treatment methods has become an important part of health care and will certainly have a major influence on decisions about acceptable treatment methods in the future. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) means the systematic, explicit, and judicious implementation of the best evidence in patient care. The most reliable sources of evidence are high-quality systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A systematic EBM approach could be particularly useful in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), where controversial and conflicting ideas about management are common. In this field, concerns about the lack of evidence are often expressed. This article aims to elucidate and discuss the application of EBM to the treatment of TMD, using the most controversial treatments (i.e., occlusal treatments) as an example. By applying the principles of EBM to TMD treatments, we wish to highlight some of the important issues that form the basis for high-quality care in this field. A systematic review of occlusal treatments (occlusal splints and occlusal adjustment) updated to January 2003 revealed 16 RCTs of occlusal splints and 4 of occlusal adjustment. The overall quality of the trials was fairly low. Recently, however, some high-quality RCTs of occlusal splints have been published. The most obvious methodologic shortcomings in published trials included problems in defining the patient population, inadequacies in performing randomization and blinding, problems in defining the therapies or appropriate control treatments, short follow-ups, and problems in monitoring patient compliance. Occlusal splint studies yielded equivocal results. Even in the most studied area, stabilization splints for myofascial face pain, the results do not justify definite conclusions about the efficacy of splint therapy. Their clinical effectiveness to relieve pain also seems modest when compared with pain treatment methods in general. None of the occlusal adjustment studies provided evidence supporting the use of this treatment method. The clinical implications of the findings and future perspectives are discussed.     

Prediction of compliance and completion of orthodontic treatment: are quality of life measures important?

The main aim of the present investigation was to evaluate whether there is an association between completion of orthodontic treatment and quality of life measures, i.e. age, gender, socio-economic status, type of appliance and need for orthodontic treatment. The secondary aim was to evaluate whether compliance with orthodontic treatment (missed appointments and appliance breakages) was associated with age, gender, socio-economic status, or type of appliance. This was a multi-centre longitudinal observational study carried out on 144 patients (65 males and 79 females) aged 10-19 years. Baseline data were collected: patient age, gender, socio-economic status, Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN), and type of appliance. Quality of life information, including orthodontic utility values and oral aesthetic subjective impact score (OASIS), were also collected at the start of treatment. The main outcome measure was whether a patient completed treatment. Compliance was assessed by recording the number of failed appointments and appliance breakages. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the association between independent and dependent variables. None of the baseline variables, including quality of life measures, were associated with a patient completing treatment, or their compliance with treatment (P > 0.05). Thus, quality of life measures (utility values or OASIS) do not add to our knowledge of who may complete, or co-operate with, orthodontic treatment. In addition, neither age, gender, socio-economic status nor clinical treatment need (IOTN) were useful in helping a clinician to choose potentially co-operative patients.     

Social inequality and discontinuation of orthodontic treatment: is there a link?

The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of social inequality on the likelihood of patients discontinuing orthodontic treatment, and to determine which, if any, indicators of social inequality are of greater relevance. In this retrospective study of English and Welsh General Dental Services (GDS) cases, consecutive 'discontinued' cases collected at the Dental Practice Board (DPB) during 1990-91, were compared for age, treatment modality, and measures of social inequality, with a 2 per cent sample of cases contemporaneously submitted as 'complete'. Three deprivation indices, and occupation-based social class spectra of neighbourhoods, were compared between the groups. A model was sought to predict discontinuation/completion using logistic regression analysis. The discontinued sample represented lower social stratum spectra for home and practice areas under all indicators tested, and the subjects were a little older at the start of treatment. Fewer were treated by orthodontically qualified practitioners or with fixed appliances, but more with extra-oral traction. Occupation-based classification (patient's home) and the Carstairs Index (practice area) were selected by the analysis as explaining more of the variation than other measures of social inequality, but the model failed to predict the discontinued cases. Lower social class may be a risk factor for discontinuation of orthodontic treament, but is not a predictor for it. Patients should be considered for, and counselled about, orthodontic treatment on an individual basis. Occupation-based social classifications and the Carstairs Index may be a little more sensitive to orthodontic applications than other indicators of social inequality.     

Early orthodontic treatment: what are the imperatives?

BACKGROUND: Then authors provide a critical review of the issues involved in determining the appropriate timing of orthodontic treatment. Both single- and two-phase treatments are discussed and guidelines are offered to assist in formulating treatment plans. OVERVIEW: In providing orthodontic care for pediatric patients, clinicians often question whether to begin treatment early--during the primary or early-transitional dentition--or wait until all or most of the permanent teeth are present. The authors review the most current literature (from 1991 to 1999), including several recently completed and ongoing randomized clinical trials, to critically evaluate the effectiveness of each approach. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The controversy surrounding early vs. late orthodontic treatment is often confusing to the dental community. This article reviews both sides of the issue for orthodontic treatment of Class II and III malocclusions, as well as for the management of Class I crowding and problems in the transverse dimension. Early orthodontic treatment is effective and desirable in specific situations. However, the evidence is equally compelling that such an approach is not indicated in many cases for which later, single-phase treatment is more effective. Therefore, clinicians must decide, on a case-by-case basis, when to provide orthodontic treatment. For many patients, delaying treatment until later in their dental and skeletal development may be advisable.     

Is there a role for antibiotics in periodontal treatment?

Plaque-induced inflammatory periodontal disease affects a significant number of the population, and raises the question as to why antibiotics are not universally used to treat a disease in which bacteria are the main aetiological agent. This article describes the reasons why antibiotics may not be effective in treating periodontitis, and why their use is not more widespread. However, antibiotics have been shown to be helpful in periodontal treatment in some cases, and evidence for this is presented and suggestions where their use may be indicated are made. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: To rationalize the selective use of antibiotics in the treatment of periodontitis and avoid inappropriate prescribing.     

Medication‐related osteonecrosis of the jaw: Surgical or non‐surgical treatment?

Medication‐related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a severe side effect of antiresorptive (bisphosphonates and denosumab) and anti‐angiogenic therapy used in the management of oncologic and, less frequently, osteoporotic patients. While there is good international agreement on the diagnostic and staging criteria of MRONJ and the cessation of antiresorptive/anti‐angiogenic treatments, the gold standard of treatment is still controversial, in particular between non‐surgical and surgical approaches. The former usually includes antiseptic mouth rinse, cyclic antibiotic therapy, low‐level laser therapy and periodic dental checks; the latter consists of surgical necrotic bone removal. The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the therapeutic approaches and outcomes of 131 lesions from 106 MRONJ patients treated at the Policlinic of Bari. Non‐surgical treatments were chosen for 24 lesions that occurred in 21 patients who, due to comorbidities and/or the impossibility of stopping oncologic therapies, could not undergo surgical treatment. As to the outcome, all the surgically treated lesions (107) showed complete healing, with the exception of 13.5% of the lesions, all of which were stage III, which did not completely heal but showed reduction to stage I. The 24 non‐surgically treated lesions never completely healed and, rather, generally remained stable. Only two cases exhibited a reduction in staging. Based on our observations, MRONJ occurring both in neoplastic and non‐neoplastic patients benefits more from a surgical treatment approach, whenever deemed possible, as non‐surgical treatments do not seem to allow complete healing of the lesions.     

How many residents with disabilities are there in Massachusetts?

The availability of the U.S. Census Bureau data for 2010 provides an opportunity to review the increasing child, adult, and elderly populations with disabilities and the reality that there are individuals with disabilities not only in the larger population centers, but also in the small towns throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.     

What are the antibiotics of choice for odontogenic infections, and how long should the treatment course last?

In the everyday practice of oral and maxillofacial surgeons, empiric antibiotics are?prescribed in the face of uncertainty. Is there a highly resistant organism present? Are the old-line antibiotics no longer effective? Should a broad-spectrum antibiotic be used just to cover all the bases in this case? The surprising result of this systematic review is that when combined with appropriate surgery, the usual antibiotics are all effective. Safety and cost become the differentiating factors in this clinical decision.     

Allergy to local anaesthetic agents used in dentistry--what are the signs, symptoms, alternative diagnoses and management options?

This paper addresses the signs and symptoms of local anaesthetic hypersensitivity, differential diagnoses and the management of a patient with suspected allergy to local anaesthetics. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: While allergy to anaesthetic is rare, knowledge of other causes of similar symptoms is important.     

Surgical treatment of oral lymphangiomas with CO₂ laser: report of two uncommon cases

This paper reports the treatment of oral lymphangiomas with carbon dioxide CO? Laser. Lymphangiomas are rare congenital lymphatic malformations. These lesions are most frequently diagnosed during childhood, are most commonly located in the head and neck region, and are extremely rare in the oral cavity. Oral lymphangiomas are of complex treatment due to the difficulty in performing a complete excision. CO? laser is the most often used laser in the oral cavity due to its affinity with water and high absorption by the oral mucosa. Several benefits of the use of CO? laser have been reported for surgical oral procedures. The cases reported herein were biopsy-proven lymphangiomas of the oral cavity. The surgical procedures were carried out under local anesthesia and a focused CO? laser beam (λ10.600 nm, Φ ~2 mm, CW/RSP) was used. At the end of the surgery, the laser beam was used on a defocused mode to promote better hemostasis. Neither sutures nor dressings were used after surgery. No medication and only mouthwashes were prescribed to all patients on the postoperative period. There were no postsurgical complaints from the patients and no relapses of the conditions were observed after follow-up periods of 12 and 18 months. The use of CO? laser was practical, easy to carry out and effective on the treatment of oral lymphangiomas, with no lesion recurrence.     

Oral cancer in men and women: are there differences?

Introduction

Because female user habits for tobacco and alcohol are changing and the female incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has increased, the aim of the study was to evaluate the possible differences between male and female patients suffering from oral SCC.

Patients and methods

The files of 159 male and 119 female patients with oral SCC, who were treated between 1999 and 2008 with a minimum follow-up time of 12?months, were evaluated retrospectively. Special attention was paid to tobacco and alcohol use, TN status, recurrence, and metastases rate, as well as to patients without the mentioned risk factors.

Results

A higher female median age (65.36 vs. 61.04?years) and female predominance was found in the group of patients older than 70?years, with a gender distribution of 53:46. Out of 23 female patients with oral maxillary SCC, 15 (65%) were without the risk factors of tobacco and alcohol, and from the 16 male patients suffering from oral maxillary carcinoma, only three (19%) were without the mentioned risk factors.

Conclusion

In summary, compared to earlier studies, there was a higher proportion of females in (1) the group without the risk factors of tobacco and alcohol, (2) those with SCC of the hard plate and maxillary alveolus, and (3) in patients older than 70?years. There are fewer differences between metastases and recurrence rates. Further studies should be performed in female patients without risk factors and in maxillary cancer with emphasis on the human papilloma virus and infiltration rates.