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Objectives: To evaluate the influence of text messages on cooperation of Class II patients with the use of intermaxillary elastics. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 42 orthodontic patients (20 males and 22 females) aged between 14 and 34 years. They were randomly divided into one of the following two groups: a control group with 21 patients who did not receive messages and an experimental group with 21 patients who received motivational and reminder text messages. Messages were sent twice a week for a period of 3 months. The patients were instructed to wear the elastics all day, removing them only during meals and replacing them daily. All patients were instructed regarding the importance of cooperation. Measurements were performed with a digital caliper on plaster models at the beginning of elastics wear (T1) and 3 months later (T2). For intragroup and intergroup comparisons between T1 and T2, paired and unpaired t-tests, respectively, were used with a significance level of 5%. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in the intra- and intergroup comparisons between T1 and T2. Both groups showed a decrease in the sagittal distance between upper and lower arches from T1 to T2, demonstrating the effective use of elastics. However, the experimental group showed a Class II correction that was 3.7 times greater than the control group (P = .001). Conclusions: Text messages had a positive influence on the cooperation of patients regarding the use of intermaxillary elastics in the orthodontic treatment of Class II malocclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evaluate the facial profile changes of orthodontic treatment with extraction of two upper first premo-lars, from the perspective of orthodontists, dentists and lay people. Methods: Facial profiles of radiographs taken before and after treatment of 70 patients with Class II, division 1 malocclusion were traced. The silhouettes of the 70 patients were randomly assembled in an album with, being two profiles on each sheet of the same patient. Then, 30 orthodontists, 30 dentists and 30 lay people chose the more esthetic facial profile (A or B), and the amount of change they perceived between the two profiles before and after treatment, according to a visual analog scale (VAS). Results: The results revealed that 83 examiners preferred the post-treatment profiles, and only three dentists and four lay people chose the profiles pre-treatment more frequently. Thus, the orthodontists often chose the profiles after treatment, followed by dentists, with no statistically significant differences found between dentists and lay people. There were significant differences within groups in the preference of pre- and post-treatment profile. Furthermore, the three groups of evaluators indicated that pre and post-treatment profiles did not differ substantially. Conclusions: The treatment of Class II, division 1 malocclusion with extraction of two first premolars has a positive effect on facial profile esthetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on awake bruxism (BV) behavior in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. The sample consisted of 31 patients aged between 15 and 30 years old. The frequency of BV was evaluated before and during the pandemic, along with psychosocial variables such as stress level and anxiety. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the frequency of BV between the two periods, but levels of hypervigilance and catastrophizing decreased during the pandemic, while the level of concentration was low. It was concluded that the pandemic did not have a significant impact on awake bruxism habits, but it did affect the patients' concentration. [Extracted from the article]