The aim of this study was to compare the pain experience among orthodontic patients treated with self-ligating brackets SmartClip® (3M Unitek, Monrovia, California, USA) and conventional brackets Victory series® (3M Unitek, Monrovia, California, USA). We used a controlled clinical trial study design to compare 69 patients treated with self-ligating to 70 patients treated by conventional brackets. The nickel-titanium archwires 0.012-in were engaged after bonding both arches on the first day; and the visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the pain experience of subjects for the first seven treatment days. The pre-treatment dental study models were assessed by the Little’s irregularity index to quantify the groups’ malalignment characteristics. The self-ligating brackets reported lower pain experience than the conventional group on the first five treatment days. However, the sixth day showed 1.75 mm higher visual analogue score than conventional brackets, with almost equal pain level on the seventh day. The group differences throughout the first week were neither clinically nor statistically significant. The pain experiences in both groups decreased steadily from the third treatment day to the end of the first week of treatment. Based on the study findings, the pain experience during initial alignment is not influenced by the brackets’ ligation type. The pain experience tends to decrease steadily from the third treatment day to the end of the first week of treatment irrespective of the bracket type used.
Orthodontic Brackets, Orthodontic Appliances

China ; Humans ; Orthodontic Appliances

The lingual multibracket appliance was developed to overcome the unesthetic nature of traditional fixed orthodontic labial appliances; however, treatment with this appliance was regarded as very difficult as well as a time-consuming. Recently, these problems have been reduced because of advances in lingual bracket systems, improved indirect bonding technique and the development of more flexible wires. There has been a marked increase in the number of adults desiring orthodontic treatment over recent years and many of these patients tend to seek invisible orthodontic appliances due to esthetic reasons. Although the lingual multibracket treatment is not ideal, this form of treatment is currently the best option for the patients with esthetic concerns. Here, I would like to present a case treated successfully with lingual multibracket appliance.
Adult ; Humans ; Orthodontic Appliances

OBJECTIVE: With an increasing demand for esthetic orthodontic appliances, the interest in polycarbonate brackets has also increased. However, polycarbonate bracket wings are prone to fracture. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of a newly-developed polycarbonate bracket by measuring the fracture strength of bracket tie wings. METHODS: Alice (K.M. Daicom, Seoul, Korea) and Spirit MB (Ormco, Glendora, CA, USA) brackets were used as an experimental and control bracket respectively. Each bracket group was divided into halves. One half was untreated and the other half was treated with 2,000 times of thermocycling between 5 degrees C and 55 degrees C. The fracture strength of the wing was measured by a universal testing machine. RESULTS: Alice bracket wings showed significantly higher strength than Spirit MB bracket wings in both untreated and thermocycled bracket cases. CONCLUSION: Alice brackets may be used clinically in terms of the strength of bracket wings.
Orthodontic Appliances ; Seoul

Humans ; Orthodontic Appliances ; Orthodontics, Corrective

It is important to understand the operating mechanism and force system of fixed appliance that most effective for individual tooth movement in various orthodontic appliances. The arch wire system of fixed appliance is devided into 3 types, which is continuous arch, segmented arch and sectional arch. The last two types have longer interbracket distance and simple force operating points, so it is easy to control force system by operator. But the continuous arch has shorter interbracket distance and various bracket geometry, so it is hard to control and anaylze the force system. The purpose of this study was three dimentional force and moment analysis of continuous arch system by finite element method, which is similar situation to three dimentional elastic beam in structural engineering. Several sample form of various bracket geometry and artificial lower crowding typodont made by author were constructed, analyzed and compared each other. The results were as follows: 1. The force magnitude is linear proportional to the degree of displacement or tilting of the bracket. 2. The force magnitude is inversely non-linear proportional to the interbracket distance. 3. In three dimensional typodont model, while the force can be compared with that of the sample form in the area where adjacent bracket geometry is simple, the force is much more than the expected value in the area where adjacent bracket geometry is complex.
Crowding ; Orthodontic Appliances ; Tooth Movement

OBJECTIVETo study the bracket placement and arch wire bending based on ethnic differences and individual differences of normal occlusion.

METHODSThe prominence, tip, torque, upper first molar offset of crown and arch form between Chinese and Caucasian normal occlusion were compared.

RESULTSThe results showed the ethnic differences of prominence, tip, torque, upper first molar offset of crown and arch form between Chinese and Caucasian normal occlusion. The placement of bracket was influenced by the crown morphology.

CONCLUSIONThe adjustments of the bracket placement and arch wire bending with Edgewise and pre-adjusted appliance are necessary to adapt to ethnic difference and individual difference.

Foreign body aspiration and ingestion during oral disease treatment are possible to occur. The incidence is prone to take place among children. Extracted teeth, endodontic instruments, prosthesis, and orthodontic appliance items are possible to be aspirated or swallowed. This article summarizes the reasons, handling methods, and prevention of foreign body aspiration and ingestion to provide guidance for clinical work.
Child ; Deglutition ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Orthodontic Appliances

The bracketless invisible aligner technique has been considered as a new developed orthodontic technique since its appearance during the period of late 1990s. It is characterized with the advantages of more aesthetic, comfortable, simple, high-efficient and predictable compared with current traditional orthodontic techniques depending on brackets and wires for orthodontic tooth movements. There have been many opportunities for further development and clinical application for the technique with the developments of material sciences, computer software and hardware technology, rapid prototyping techniques, et al. Nevertheless, kinds of difficulties and challenges have been and should be met either at present or in the future for this relatively new technique which just occurred around 10 years ago. The histories, developments with opportunities and challenges and prospects of the technique will be reviewed and discussed in this paper.
Humans ; Orthodontic Appliances ; Tooth Movement Techniques

Humans ; Orthodontic Appliances ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; therapy