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Esthetic orthodontic appliances continue to appeal to more patients, which results in objections to extraction spaces that remain for several months during orthodontic therapy. This has led orthodontists to design temporary pontics that fill extraction sites and that can be reduced as the spaces close. This report describes a simple, efficient, and expeditious technique for making such pontics., (© 2010 Quintessence Publishing Co, Inc.)

A 35-year-old female presented missing her maxillary right first premolar, left central and lateral incisors, and left second premolar and mandibular left first molar. The referring dentist had requested that only the maxillary left first molar be intruded to facilitate the prosthodontic replacement of the missing mandibular left first molar. After clinical examination and consultation with her dentist, it was decided to protract the mandibular left second and third molars, intrude the maxillary left first molar, replace the missing incisors with a temporary partial denture, and restore the missing maxillary right first premolar with an implant., (© 2009 BY QUINTESSENCE PUBLISHING CO, INC.)

Aim: To describe the treatment of a 7-year-old patient with a hyperdivergent (dolichofacial) pattern, Class II Division 1 malocclusion, and anterior open bite., Methods: Treatment was performed in 2 stages following the principles of the Ricketts bioprogressive technique and comprised early extraction of the maxillary permanent first molars and primary second molars., Results: The treatment plan established for correction of the initial malocclusion reached the orthodontic goals, providing optimal esthetics and normal function., Conclusion: Posterior dentoalveolar height, which is fundamental in diagnosis and treatment planning, should be investigated in cases with excessive vertical dimension. In addition, extraction of permanent or primary maxillary posterior teeth at an early age may be a good option for hyperdivergent patients with excessive posterior dentoalveolar height.

Adult orthodontic patients with missing mandibular first molars and large spaces to close have challenged orthodontists for many decades. Most of the techniques previously used to close such spaces have rendered equivocal results that typically result in compromised treatment. The mandibular protraction appliance offers orthodontic clinicians a method to close those spaces by bringing the mandibular second molars forward without retracting the mandibular incisors. This presents a method for managing large mandibular spaces without resorting to prosthetic replacements.

Over the past 100 years, orthodontists have vacillated between extremes of nonextraction and extraction therapies. Injudicious selection of therapies despite facial dimensions has probably contributed to the major clinical disappointments within each style of therapy. The belief that expansion distal to the canines would not stabilize after the cessation of active treatment has contributed to the reluctance to use such therapy. However, experience has shown that this type of expansive, nonextraction therapy can have success without relapse and merits more attention from the specialty.

The ribbon arch had great popularity and utility early in the 20th century, but lost its appeal as edgewise techniques developed. Some clinicians have made attempts to revive the procedure, but they have relied upon costly changes in bracket and band inventories and have not yet received extensive endorsement. A newer approach that relies only upon the use of newly developed titanium and stainless steel ribbon archwires offers orthodontists a simplified and inexpensive method for assimilating this helpful method. Such wires allow orthodontists to create an integrative therapeutic protocol that combines much of the alignment, leveling, and torque control in a single wire.