The aim of this study was to evaluate the masticatory function of subjects with clear aligners and to propose a simple and repeatable method for the clinical and experimental evaluation of masticatory function. For the testing we used almonds, a natural substance that can be easily found and stored, has intermediate consistency and hardness, is insoluble in saliva, and has the ability easily lose the moisture absorbed in the mouth. Thirty-four subjects using the Invisalign^® (Align Technology, Santa Clara, CA, USA) protocol were randomly selected. This was an “intercontrol test”, i.e., all subjects under the same conditions acted as controls but also as cases whilst wearing the clear aligners. Patients were asked to chew an almond for 20 s, once with aligners and once without aligners. The material was then dried, sieved, and weighted. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate any significative differences. In all our subjects, the efficiency of chewing with clear aligners was found to be comparable to the efficiency of chewing without clear aligners. In detail, the average weight after drying was 0.62 g without aligners and 0.69 g with aligners, while after sieving at 1 mm, the average weight was 0.08 g without aligners and 0.06 g with aligners. The average variation after drying was of 12%, and after sieving at 1 mm, it was 25%. In summary, there was no substantial difference between chewing with or without clear aligners. Despite some discomfort in chewing, the clear aligners were well tolerated by most subjects, who wore them without difficulty even during meals.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a condition which has multifactorial etiology. The most acknowledged method to classify TMDs is the diagnostic criteria (DC) introduced firstly by Dworkin. This protocol considers different aspects that are not only biological, but even psychosocial. Diagnosis is often based on anamnesis, physical examination and instrumental diagnosis. TMDs are classified as intra-articular and/or extra-articular disorders. Common signs and symptoms include jaw pain and dysfunction, earache, headache, facial pain, limitation to opening the mouth, ear pain and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) noises. This study regards two kind of clinicians that started in the last years to be more involved in the treatment of TMDs: osteopaths (OOs) and physiotherapists (PTs). The purpose is to analyze their attitude and clinical approach on patients affected by TMDs. Four hundred therapists answered an anonymous questionnaire regarding TMJ and TMDs. OOs showed greater knowledges on TMDs and TMJ and, the therapists with both qualifications seemed to be most confident in treating patients with TMDs. In conclusion this study highlights OOs and all the clinicians with this qualification, have a higher confidence in treating patients with TMD than the others. Dentists and orthodontists, according to this study, should co-work with OOs and PTs, because they are the specialists more requested by them than other kinds of specialists.

This preliminary retrospective study evaluates how effective the OrthoPulse^® (Biolux Technology, Austria) is in increasing the predictability of orthodontic treatment in patients treated with Invisalign^® clear aligners (Align Technology Inc., Tempe, AZ, USA). A group of 376 patients were treated with Invisalign^® orthodontic clear aligners in association with an OrthoPulse^®. The OrthoPulse^® was prescribed for 10 min a day for the entire duration of the orthodontic treatment. The OrthoPulse^® App remotely tracked the percentage compliance of each patient. The number of aligners planned with the ClinCheck software at the beginning of the treatment and the number of total aligners (including the adjunctive aligners) used to finish the treatment were then considered. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, a total of 40 patients remained in the study and were compared with a control group of 40 patients with the same characteristics as the study group. A statistical analysis was carried out to investigate whether using OrthoPulse^® led to a statistical reduction in the number of adjunctive aligners, thus leading to a more accurate prediction of the treatment. The statistical analysis showed that patients who used OrthoPulse^® needed fewer finishing aligners and a greater predictability of the treatment was obtained. In fact, in the treated group the average number of additional aligners represented 66.5% of the initial aligners, whereas in the control group 103.4% of the initially planned aligners were needed. In conclusion, in patients treated with clear aligners, OrthoPulse^® would appear to increase the predictability of orthodontic treatment with clear aligners, thus reducing the number of finishing phase requirements.

Introduction: Myobrace^® is an orthodontic device that has the purpose of correcting oral dysfunctions, thus predisposing the physiological growth of the jaws, aligning teeth, and optimizing face development. This device is usually associated with Myobrace^® Activities to reach this target. Considering the lack of studies in the literature about peripheral blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and the use of preformed oral devices, the aim of this study is to quantify the change in blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) in patients treated with the Myobrace^® System in mixed dentition. Materials and Methods: In this study, 23 children (11 females and 12 males) were involved, who were affected by different oral dysfunctions and were treated with a Myobrace^®. Blood oxygen saturation measurements were taken at baseline and after every four months for a year. The SpO₂ measurements were taken in the rest position and with a closed mouth for a total of 12 min—6 min with and 6 min without the Myobrace^® oral device. All data points were anonymized and recorded on an Excel spreadsheet. A statistical analysis was carried out. Results: Therapy with a Myobrace^® in patients with mixed dentition resulted in a statistically significant increase in oxygen saturation. In particular, in patients with a closed mouth, a statistically significant increase in oxygen saturation was observed, bringing it from 97.66% to 99.00%, while in the rest position, the increase was from 98.03% to 99.07%. Conclusions: The use of Myobrace^® devices in patients with mixed dentition could lead to a significant improvement in blood oxygen saturation.

This study aimed to investigate the remineralization processes of dental enamel via scanning electron microscopy and observe the changes induced in the microstructure by oral hygiene products. More specifically, the effectiveness of Mentadent Professional Resilience was analyzed for its ability to demineralize erosion-affected enamel surfaces. This involved the sectioning of some teeth to preserve enamel integrity, followed by dehydration and preparation for SEM analysis. SEM observations were made at various magnifications to detect differences in enamel morphology after treatment with the product. These observations provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of action of dental care products and their potential to protect enamel. The study makes a contribution to our understanding of remineralization processes and describes the importance of microscopic analysis for evaluating and developing effective dental products.