Purpose. The article is aimed at improving the understanding of the sociocultural profile of adult orthodontic patients and their expectations. In particular, it addresses three main aspects: the motivation and needs that underpin the decision to start orthodontic treatment, how it influences the patients’ daily life, and the different oral hygiene demands. Materials and Methods. An online survey was completed by 276 patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with different techniques. The questions asked concerned gender, age, type of appliance, any previous orthodontic treatments, type of any previous retainers, reasons for therapy, satisfaction, pain, problems in eating, daily number of teeth brushings and flossings before and during the treatment, perception of cost, sensation of visibility of the appliance, and if they would recommend orthodontic treatment. Results. A significant role within our sample is played by gender; 87.94% consisted of female patients out of which 72.57% wanted to improve their aesthetics, while only 54.84% of male patients cited the same reason. Invisible aligners were preferred by 67.70% of the patients due to them being considered the least painful, causing the fewest problems with eating, and the least visible. Metal braces were perceived as the less expensive treatment. Over a third of the patients (33.85%) had previously undergone orthodontic treatment, among them 54.05% wore a mobile retainer, 31.08% a fixed one, and 14.86% both. Daily tooth brushing and flossing increased during therapy with clear aligners by 48.94% and 126.39%, respectively. Conclusions. The greatest demand for orthodontic treatments comes from women, as they pay more attention to aesthetics, which makes the clear aligners the most common choice. The relapse after orthodontic treatment seems to cause a higher demand for retreatment, and oral hygiene habits significantly improve during orthodontic treatment, especially with the clear aligners.

Temporomandibular disorders are multi-factorial conditions that are caused by both physical and psychological factors. It has been well established that stress triggers or worsens TMDs. This paper looks to present early research, still unfolding, on the relationship between COVID-19 as a major life stressor and TMDs. The main aims of this study were to: investigate the presence of symptoms related to TMDs and the time of onset and the worsening of painful symptoms in relation to the changes in social life imposed by the coronavirus pandemic; and to evaluate the perception of COVID-19 as a major stressful event in subjects who report worsening of painful TMD symptoms. One hundred and eighty-two subjects answered questionnaires—Axis II of the RDC/TMD, the PSS, and specific items about coronavirus as a stressful event—during the lockdown period for COVID-19 in Italy to evaluate the presence of reported symptoms of TMD and the level of depression, somatization, and stress perceived. The results showed that 40.7% of subjects complained about TMD symptoms in the past month. Regarding the time of onset, 60.8% of them reported that facial pain started in the last three months, while 51.4% of these subjects reported that their symptoms worsened in the last month and were related to the aggravation of pain due to the coronavirus lockdown as a major life event and to the stress experienced. The results of this study seem to support the hypothesis that stress during the pandemic lockdown influenced the onset of temporomandibular joint disorders and facial pain, albeit with individual responses.

Eagle’s syndrome is a condition associated with the elongation of the styloid process or calcification of the stylohyoid ligament, clinicallycharacterised by throat and neck pain, radiating into the ear. In this report, we describe the case of a 60-year-old woman who presentedwith a severe unilateral trigeminal and glossopharyngeal neuralgia. The patient was subjected to conservative therapy for four months anddid not report improvement of the symptoms. After several consultations with different physicians, a diagnosis was accomplished by radiologicalinvestigation (multidetector computer tomography with multi-planar reconstructions and 3D volumetric reconstructions). Surgicalstyloidectomy was performed, with subsequent sudden remission of symptoms. Eagle’s syndrome represents a commonly unrecognised nosologicalentity, clinically characterised by non-specific cranio-facial pain. Differential diagnosis includes glossopharyngeal and trigeminalneuralgia, temporal arteritis, migraine, myofascial pain dysfunction and cervical arthritis. Eagle’s syndrome should always be suspected,mostly in adult women when the pain is unilateral and not responsive to painkillers.

Promotion of oral health has an essential role in the maintenance of teeth in adults. However, health education must start from an early age, in order to monitor the child's growth and prevent pathologies. Schools are in charge of the overall education of children and of guidance to parents but could also be engaged in the promotion of oral health, supported and counseled by pediatricians and dentists. The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate whether school age children could be taught, successfully, basic oral sciences and dental hygiene, by a professional, during school hours. In this pilot study, an anonymized test was administered to 45 children of age between 8 and 10, both before and after an interactive lecture on oral health, to assess the effectiveness of the lesson and acquisition by the children of knowledge on oral health. After the presentation, the majority of the children were able to answer correctly to the questionnaire that was given to them (test, retest) which was related to dental anatomy and pathology (number of teeth, cavities, halitosis), and dental hygiene tools and practices (brushes, floss, mouth wash, tongue scrapers). The children seemed to be receptive to learning while in school, and a specific educational session of dental hygiene and oral health seems to be the right approach to ensure children can identify dental hygiene tools and use them appropriately.

Background: Eagle syndrome occurs when elongated styloid process or ossification of the stylohyoid ligament interfere with the surrounding anatomical structures giving rise to various symptoms. Watt W. Eagle identified two types: stylo-hyoid classic syndrome and stylo-carotid artery syndrome. The aim of this systematic review of the literature is to evaluate correlations between Eagle syndrome and traumatic events or teeth extractions. Methods: out of 294 articles, the final study allowed the identification of 13 studies focusing on traumatic events. Out of 342 articles, the final study allowed the analysis of two studies regarding extractive dental events. Results: 13 articles showed correlations between the onset of symptoms in Eagle syndrome and traumatic events and highlighted two possibilities: traumatic event could fracture the already elongated styloid process or calcified stylohyoid ligament; trauma itself triggers the pathophysiological mechanisms that lead to lengthening of styloid process or calcification of stylohyoid ligament and therefore the typical symptoms. The only two case reports concerning Eagle syndrome symptoms after extractive dental events describe the onset of classic type. Conclusions: The analyzed articles confirm correlation between traumatic event and onset of typical symptoms of Eagle syndrome. There is not enough literature linking extractive dental events to Eagle syndrome. Trial registration: CRD42020185176.

Aim: To systematically review international literature related to rapid maxillary expansion (RME) as the treatment for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in children less than 18 years-old, followed by a meta-analysis of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) before and after RME, with or without a previous adenotonsillectomy (AT). Methods: Literature on databases from PubMed, Wiley online library, Cochrane Clinical Trials Register, Springer link, and Science Direct were analyzed up to March 2020. Two independent reviewers (S.G. and R.J.M.) screened, assessed, and extracted the quality of the publications. A meta-analysis was performed to compare AHI values before and after the treatment with RME. Results: Six studies reported outcomes for 102 children with a narrow maxillary arch suffering from OSAS with a mean age of 6.7 ± 1.3. AHI improved from a M ± SD of 7.5 ± 3.2/h to 2.5 ± 2.6/h. A higher AHI change in patients with no tonsils (83.4%) and small tonsils (97.7%) was detected when compared to children with large tonsils (56.4%). Data was analyzed based on a follow-up duration of ≤3 year in 79 children and >3 years in 23 children. Conclusion: Reduction in the AHI was detected in all 102 children with OSAS that underwent RME treatment, with or without an adenotonsillectomy. Additionally, a larger reduction in the AHI was observed in children with small tonsils or no tonsils. A general improvement on the daytime and nighttime symptoms of OSAS after RME therapy was noted in all the studies, demonstrating the efficacy of this therapy.