Although treatment with fixed or mobile appliances has become an important part of modern orthodontics, side effects such as white spot lesions (WSLs) have a negative impact on the aesthetic outcome of orthodontic treatment. The purpose of this article was to review current evidence on the diagnosis, risk assessment, prevention, management and post-orthodontic treatment of these lesions. Data collection was performed electronically, and the initial search using the keywords “white spot lesions”, “orthodontics”, “WSL”, “enamel” and “demineralization” in different combinations resulted in 1032 articles for the two electronic databases used. Ultimately, a total of 47 manuscripts were considered relevant to the aim of this research and included in this review. The results of the review indicate that WSLs remain a significant problem during orthodontic treatment. According to studies in the literature, the severity of WSLs correlates to the duration of treatment. Using toothpaste with more than 1000 ppm fluoride at home reduces the frequency of WSL separation and regular application of varnishes in the office reduces the frequency of the occurrence of WSLs only in the context of maintaining a strict hygiene regime. The old hypothesis that elastomeric ligatures retain more dental plaque than metal ones has been refuted. There are no differences in the appearance of WSLs between conventional brackets and self-ligating brackets. Clear aligner mobile devices develop fewer WSLs but are more extensive as opposed to conventional fixed devices, while lingual orthodontic appliances have a lower incidence of WSLs, and the most effective device for preventing these lesions is WIN, followed by Incognito.

The main disadvantage of the implants is the associated infections. Therefore, in the long term, the possibility of improving the antibacterial capacity of different types of implants (dental, orthopedic) is being researched. The severity of the problem lies in the increasing bacterial resistance and finding appropriate alternative treatments for infectious diseases, which is an important research field nowadays. The purpose of this review is to draw a parallel between different studies analyzing the antibacterial activity and mechanism of silver nanoparticles (NP Ag) deposited on the titanium nanotubes (NTT), as well as the analysis of the NP Ag toxicity. This review also provides an overview of the synthesis and characterization of TiO₂-derived nanotubes (NT). Thus, the analysis aims to present the existing knowledge to better understand the NP Ag implants benefits and their antibacterial activity.

The use of maxillary expanders has the effect of distancing the maxillary bones at the level of the median palatal suture. During maxillary expansion, the main resistance forces occur at the zygomatico-maxillary sutures, and not in the median palatal suture, which is the basic principle on which this method is based. In this observational study, we evaluated possible complications at the skeletal and dentoalveolar level after palatal split using miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) associated or not with corticopuncture (CP) therapy. The study included 27 patients with maxillary transverse deficiency and unilateral or bilateral cross-bite. Skeletal and dentoalveolar changes were evaluated using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images acquired before and after expansion. The mid-palatal suture was separated in 88.88% of cases, buccal bone height of the alveolar crest had decreased at first molar both at oral and palatal level by approximately 2.07 mm in 40.7% of cases whilst the remaining 59.3% showed insignificant bone loss, with canines exhibiting buccal tipping of 4.10° in 62.5% of cases. Changes of the occlusal planes were observed in 10 cases (37%). Maxillary canines tended to show symmetric buccal inclinations relative to the maxillary basal bone. Six patients; 22.22% showed hypertrophy/hyperplasia of the palatal mucosa associated with ulcerations, erythema, itching, and discomfort in the area. Swelling at the mid-palatal suture after split was observed in all cases and was caused by the resultant force. No cases of necrosis of the palatal mucosa were observed. Although occlusal modifications occur after palatal split, especially in unilateral cross-bite cases, these changes can be treated with the help of fixed orthodontic appliances.

Dental ankylosis is a serious condition defined as the process that causes the fusion between the dentin or the cementum of the root and the alveolar bone, with the obliteration of the periodontal ligament becoming progressively replaced by bone tissue. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence, location, severity, and association of dental ankylosis in primary molars with other dental anomalies such as the agenesis of permanent buds. For this study 150 panoramic x-rays were selected from patients with temporary or mixed dentition, aged six to twelve years old, from a private dentistry office and from the Pediatric Dentistry Department of UMFST in Targu-Mures, Romania. In order to identify the cases with dental ankylosis, the presence and severity of the infraocclusion, displacements of the neighboring teeth, the appearance of the root area, and the relationship with the bone tissue were examined. For evaluation of the categorical data we used Fischer’s exact test and the Chi-squared test and the chosen significance level was set at 0.05. The results showed that the highest percentage of cases with ankylosis was found in the first group (six to nine years old), respectively, with 72% of cases compared with the second group (ten to twelve years old) with 28% of cases. Findings showed that there was no positive association between dental ankylosis and gender, but a strong correlation was found regarding the location on the dental arches. Most cases were identified on the lower arch with a higher percentage in quadrant three. Of the two primary molars, the most affected by ankylosis was the first molar in quadrant three, followed by the second molar, and finally the first molar in quadrant four. Most cases diagnosed with ankylosis had a mild to moderate degree of infraocclusion; therefore, changes in the functional balance of the dental arch and on neighboring teeth were insignificant. There were some differences obtained between our results and studies from the literature, especially regarding the localization in the lower left dental arch, but these differences can be attributed to the number of the subjects selected and from the methodology of dental ankylosis diagnosis. Based on the data obtained, it was concluded that ankylosis is a dental condition which occurs in children in early mixed dentition, especially in the lower arch, with the first primary molar being the most affected tooth. The presence of infraocclusion and the absence of dental mobility, especially during the stage of primary molars’ root resorption, are the main signs which must be followed to make an early diagnosis and prevent further complications.

At the end of any orthodontic treatment, retention is a necessary phase. Unfortunately, the current retention devices and the lack of proper oral hygiene on the part of patients lead to the accumulation of dental plaque, periodontal inflammation, and gingival retraction. Our retrospective study included 116 adult patients wearing various types of orthodontic retainers. To quantitatively determine the accumulation of dental plaque, we used the Quigley–Hein plaque index modified by Turesky and the Navy plaque index modified by Rustogi. Another studied parameter was related to the gingival recession associated with retention devices. We had investigated the correctness of patients’ dental hygiene, their preferences for auxiliary means of oral hygiene, the consistency with which they wear the mobile retainers, and respect the orthodontist’s instructions; we also investigated the inconveniences and the accidents that may occur during the retention period. Statistical analysis showed that plaque accumulation is significantly lower in the case of mobile retainer than fixed retainer wearers; the exception was the Hawley plate, where the interdental plaque was more than in all the other studied retainers. Periodontal recessions were more frequent in the case of fixed retainer wearing. Flossing was the most commonly used auxiliary mean for oral hygiene. The compliance of women in wearing vacuum-formed retainers was better than that of men. Patients with a class III history had more plaque accumulation, and class II/1 had the most problems related to detachment/damage of fixed retainers. Mobile retainers proved better results for oral hygiene, but fixed retainers cannot be waved.

The purpose of this in vitro study was to analyze and identify a methodology for the improvement of the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets bonded with two orthodontic adhesive systems considered to be widely used, Transbond Plus Color Change with Transbond Plus Self-Etching Primer and Fuji Ortho LC with orthophosphoric acid under various enamel conditions: dry, moistened with water and moistened with saliva. The sample size included a group of 120 freshly extracted premolars distributed into six study groups, each one of 20 teeth. A universal testing machine was used to detach the brackets. We determined and compared the strength of the two studied adhesive systems used in different enamel surface conditions. The mean shear bond strength values in groups 1 (TPCC, TSEP, dry), 2 (TPCC, TSEP, water), 3 (TPCC, TSEP, saliva), 4 (Fuji Ortho LC, etched, dry enamel), 5 (Fuji Ortho LC, etched enamel, water) and 6 (Fuji Ortho LC, etched enamel, saliva) were 15.86, 12.31, 13.04, 15.27, 14.14 and 13.11 MPa, respectively. ANOVA test and Student’s t-test showed significant differences between groups. While clinically acceptable shear bond strengths were obtained for all six studied groups, a particular outcome that to the authors’ knowledge has not been documented elsewhere has been obtained: in case of water contamination, it is preferable to use Fuji Ortho LC instead of Transbond Plus.