Search

Background: Fixed orthodontic components used in orthodontic treatment often act as a nidus for the retention of plaque and biofilm thereby resulting in Plaque associated gingivitis. This is because of the classic interplay of the host and the microbial ecosystem around the components. The common gingival changes in color, contour, texture, shape & size should alarm the patient and concerned orthodontist to prevent its further progression. The orthodontist and the patient should be made aware of the undesirable complications associated with the gingival response to the treatment. Materials and Methods: This Questionnaire study was performed to assess the common gingival problems faced by the patients undergoing fixed orthodontic therapy. Results: Our study revealed that the majority of patients of both groups were cautious in maintaining good oral hygiene. A small group of patients of both groups of treatment complained of food lodgment and also experienced pain, sometimes itchy and swollen gums with bleeding from the gums. Conclusion: Oral health lies majorly in the hands of the patient by ensuring correct, efficient and meticulous oral hygiene practices. Every orthodontic patient should be motivated and educated with regards to the changes that occur in the gingiva with respect to the orthodontic treatment and good oral hygiene practices. Keywords: Common gingival, Orthodontic treatment.

With orthodontic patient demographics expanding to involve more adults, the demand for esthetic appliances is greater and orthodontists are keen on offering their patients more discreet and even invisible options. Lingual orthodontics is a very viable field which offers all this, and it is noteworthy that more and more orthodontists in India are practicing the craft.This questionnaire based survey aims to assess the knowledge and application of Lingual Orthodontics among Orthodontists in their routine clinical practice in India.A sample of 157 participants (orthodontists) was taken after assessing the sample size within the age group of 27 - 50 years of age. The participants comprised of orthodontists practicing in various parts of India. A Questionnaire was created on Google forms and circulated to participants using various social media platforms. The data of responses of participants were analyzed and evaluated with the help of pie charts.This survey analyzed the knowledge and application of Lingual Orthodontics among Orthodontists in their routine clinical practice in India. The results highlighted certain key points ; Majority of the Orthodontists in India did not practice Lingual Orthodonticsand if a patient demanded Lingual braces, majority of the Orthodontists convinced them for conventional braces. Majority of the Orthodontists also reported of not being comfortable practicing Lingual Orthodontics and were not even certified as trained Lingual Orthodontists. They reported of facing certain problems like long treatment duration, more frequent patient visits, increased appointment duration, increased breakages and increased patient discomfort. Most of the participants suggested that conventional braces were better than Lingual braces and they also felt that Lingual Orthodontics took up a lot of clinical chair side time. Maximum participants reported of frequently using conventional braces in their routine clinical practice. They also felt that there was a need to conduct increased awareness and training programs in lingual Orthodontics and a whopping majority also believed that Lingual Orthodontics had now become obsolete.This questionnaire based survey clearly helped in analyzing the knowledge and application of Lingual Orthodontics among Orthodontists in their routine clinical practice in India. Increased awareness and training programs in lingual Orthodontics need to be conducted in India as there were very few Orthodontic clinicians practicing lingual Orthodontics in routine practice.

Magnets have been widely used in orthodontics, there have been concerns regarding their safety and possible harmful effects. Magnets are used in number of conditions like, Relocation of Unerupted teeth; Space closure with magnets; Molar intrusion and correction of anterior open bite; Molar distalization; Maxillary expansion; Functional appliances for correction of Class II malocclusion; Functional Appliances for Class III malocclusions; Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, snoring; Extrusion of crown-root fractured teeth; Closure of mid-line diastema; Correction of hemifacial microsomia. At present the most promising clinical uses for these magnets are mainly confined to tooth movement for impacted teeth, and Class II and Class III malocclusions, as well as for treatment of open bite cases. In particular the long term effects of correction of open bite with magnetic appliances have to be evaluated. Keywords: Magnetic Appliances.

Facial appearance has proved to play a key role in social and psychosocial settings. With the advances in Orthodontics, patients have become more aware about the possibility of correcting malocclusions via Braces. Adults however, face some roadblocks before making a confident decision. Understanding these concerns would help provide optimum treatment to such patients. To assess the knowledge and attitude of Adult patients towards Orthodontic treatmentA sample of 205 participants was taken (155 Female and 50 Male) after assessing the sample size within the age group of 18 - 35 year of age. A Questionnaire was created on Google forms and circulated to participants using various social media platforms. The data of responses of participants was analyzed on Google forms application itself with the help of pie charts and graphs.Majority of the participants, both with or without braces asserted that age was not a barrier in getting orthodontic treatment done. They also suggested that it was never too late to undergo Orthodontic treatment and that it could be carried out at any age. Majority of the participants, both treated and non-treated cases also believed that Orthodontic treatment improved function and enhanced the Facial appearance. Participants also believed that Orthodontic treatment would boost their confidence and in no way, would wearing braces affect them socially.This survey based questionnaire helped in assessing the attitude of the general adult population towards adult Orthodontic treatment as a whole. It concluded that age is not a barrier in today’s times for getting orthodontic treatment done. Moreover, Adult Orthodontics not only improved the function, but also the Aesthetics and Self Esteem of the Adult patient undergoing treatment thus eliminating the earlier notion that Braces can be worn only up till a particular age. Prolonged treatment time was one of the causes of reluctance in many participants; however, the other benefits outweighed the time related inconvenience caused by orthodontic treatment.

Introduction: The mini CEX (Clinical Evaluation Exercise) is a workplace-based assessment tool intended to assess the clinical performance and a range of other skills such as communication skills, clinical judgment, professionalism, efficiency, and the overall clinical care while directly observing a real patient encounter. The clinical sessions are followed by structured feedback sessions between the assessors and the trainees. Mini CEX focuses on the actual performance and not just knowledge. This leads to better learning as well as helps to develop and strengthen the doctor–patient bond. Materials and Methods: 8 staff members and 9 orthodontic postgraduate students volunteered to participate in this study after the orientation session was taken to sensitize them about the same. An informed consent was taken from all of them. All the students had 2 sessions with all the assessors. As per the protocol of Mini CEX, immediate feedback about their performance was given to the students after each session. Feedback was also obtained from the assessors and the students after the completion of the exercise. This feedback allowed the assessors and the students to give their views on the exercise. Result: Mean scores of all the students significantly improved in the second session as compared to the first encounter. This was attributed to the feedback which they obtained from the assessors immediately after the session, which helped them improvise on various aspects of patient care. The students themselves felt that the exercise helped them learn better. Conclusion: Mini CEX can hence be considered as a valid formative assessment tool which when routinely used could enhance the learning experience, improve the communication skills of the students, as well as improve the doctor–patient bond.

Objective: To evaluate the Bolton ratio in the Maratha population in Pune with near ideal occlusion. Materials and Methods: Fifty study casts were made from impression obtained from patients (25 males and 25 females) aged between 15 and 30 years visiting the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at Sinhgad Dental College and Hospital, Pune. The mesiodistal widths of all maxillary and mandibular teeth from right first molar to left first molar were measured with a digital caliper to calculate the Bolton ratio. The readings were then used to compute the anterior and total Bolton ratios. t-test was used for the statistical analysis. Results: The mean overall and anterior ratios were found to be 92.73 and 80.48 with standard deviation of 2.69 and 2.86, respectively. The range of overall ratio was 81.91–96.75, and the range of anterior ratio was 74.75–86.45. The values obtained from this study indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the overall and anterior ratios of Maratha and Caucasian participants. Conclusion: It can be suggested that new values should be obtained for the Maratha population as the values were found to be significantly different from the Bolton values obtained for Caucasian population. Hence, population-specific standards are necessary to be formed for clinical assessment.

Introduction : The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the shear bond strength between the bracket and acid etched enamel, enamel treated with self-etch primer and laser irradiated enamel and to analyze the interface of the enamel bracket bond. Materials and methods : Around 60 noncarious human premolars were divided randomly into three groups of 20 each and etched using 37% phosphoric acid, self-etch primer and Er:YAG laser. Stainless steel brackets were then bonded using Transbond XT following which all the samples were stored in distilled water at room temperature for 24 hours. Shear bond strength was tested using a chisel edge, mounted on the crosshead of Universal Testing Machine. After debonding, the teeth were examined under 10Χ magnification with a stereomicroscope and ARI score determined. Shear bond strengths of the three groups were then compared using ANOVA test (multiple comparisons, Tukey′s correction). Comparison of the ARI scores was done using Chi-square test. Result : The acid etched group yielded the highest mean debonding force (13.34 Mpa) followed by self-etch group (12.15 Mpa) and laser etch group (12.10 Mpa). No significant difference was found between the three groups. On comparison of the ARI scores, it was found that the adhesive left on the enamel surface after debonding was significantly higher in the acid etched group than the self-etch group (p = 0.009). There was no significant difference in the ARI scores between the other two groups. Conclusion : These results indicate that the shear bond strength of all the three groups was clinically acceptable with no significant difference between them but more adhesive was left on enamel treated with acid and laser as compared to self-etch primer treated enamel.

Orthodontic treatment enhances smile and improves facial esthetics, thus patient expectations from an orthodontist are much more. But sometimes orthodontic failure can occur leading to dissatisfied patient which can be a legal challenge for an orthodontist. Therefore, one must be aware of the potential hazards of orthodontic treatment and explain it to patients as well as it is imperative that all orthodontist should be aware of medicolegal aspect of orthodontic practice.