Prevalence of adolescent obesity has markedly increased from 5.2% in 1974 to 19.7% in 2021. Understanding the impacts of obesity is important to orthodontists, as growth acceleration and greater pre-pubertal facial dimensions are seen in children with elevated body mass index (BMI). To identify whether adolescent obesity shifts the timing and rate of craniofacial growth resulting in larger post-treatment dimensions, we evaluated cephalometric outcomes in overweight/obese (BMI > 85%, n = 168) and normal weight (n = 158) adolescents (N = 326 total). Cephalometric measurements were obtained from pre- and post-treatment records to measure growth rates and final dimensions and were statistically evaluated with repeated measures analysis of variance and linear regression models. Overweight and obese adolescents began and finished treatment with significantly larger, bimaxillary prognathic craniofacial dimensions, with elevated mandibular length [articulare-gnathion (Ar-Gn)], maxillary length [condylion-anterior nasal spine (Co-ANS), posterior nasal spine-ANS (PNS-ANS)], and anterior lower face height (ANS-Me), suggesting overweight children grow more overall. However, there was no difference between weight cohorts in the amount of cephalometric change during treatment, and regression analyses demonstrated no correlation between change in growth during treatment and BMI. BMI percentile was a significant linear predictor (P < 0.05) for cephalometric post-treatment outcomes, including Ar-Gn, Co-ANS, ANS-Me, upper face height percentage (UFH:total FH, inverse relationship), lower face height percentage (LFH:total FH), sella-nasion-A-point (SNA), and SN-B-point (SNB). The study is retrospective. Growth begins earlier in overweight and obese adolescents and continues at a rate similar to normal-weight children during orthodontic treatment, resulting in larger final skeletal dimensions. Orthodontics could begin earlier in overweight patients to time care with growth, and clinicians can anticipate that overweight/obese patients will finish treatment with proportionally larger, bimaxillary-prognathic craniofacial dimensions.

Speech is a communication method found only in humans that relies on precisely articulated sounds to encode and express thoughts. Anatomical differences in the maxilla, mandible, tooth position, and vocal tract affect tongue placement and broadly influence the patterns of airflow and resonance during speech production. Alterations in these structures can create perceptual distortions in speech known as speech sound disorders (SSDs). As craniofacial development occurs, the vocal tract, jaws, and teeth change in parallel with stages of speech development, from babbling to adult phonation. Alterations from a normal Class 1 dental and skeletal relationship can impact speech. Dentofacial disharmony (DFD) patients have jaw disproportions, with a high prevalence of SSDs, where the severity of malocclusion correlates with the degree of speech distortion. DFD patients often seek orthodontic and orthognathic surgical treatment, but there is limited familiarity among dental providers on the impacts of malocclusion and its correction on speech. We sought to review the interplay between craniofacial and speech development and the impacts of orthodontic and surgical treatment on speech. Shared knowledge can facilitate collaborations between dental specialists and speech pathologists for the proper diagnosis, referral, and treatment of DFD patients with speech pathologies.

Calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) is a rare cyst that affects mainly the anterior region of the jaws. Generally, it appears as a unilocular radiolucent lesion containing peripheral foci of calcification, but with radiographic variations depending on the type of presentation. Here, we report an atypical case of COC associated with odontoma, initially diagnosed as a tooth germ, in the posterior region of the mandible of a 10‐year‐old male patient. Interestingly, the radiographic aspect appeared as a unilocular radiolucent lesion without peripheral foci of calcification in the edentulous region, having its size increased after traction of the impacted tooth adjacent to that area. Thus, the case presented in this study is aimed at calling dentists’ attention to its developmental changes and related pathologies.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the stress distribution and displacement generated by bone-borne maxillary expansion in a late adolescent with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) using finite element analysis. Design: A 3-dimensional finite element model (3DFEM) was obtained from craniofacial bones and maxillary teeth. Seven 3DFEM maxillary expanders were adapted on the palatal slope with a displacement of 0.25 mm per turn. Setting: The study used a computational model based on a patient's craniofacial anatomy. Patients, Participants: This study included one late adolescent with UCLP. Interventions: Seven different bone-borne maxillary expanders were tested, each with a displacement of 0.25 mm per turn on each side of the maxilla. Main Outcome Measure(s): The primary outcomes measured were stress distribution and displacement within the craniofacial structure. Results: The highest stress and displacement were generated by devices with Temporary Anchorage Devices and occurred at the cleft side. Maximum stress was observed in the zygomatic-maxilla interface of all analyzed devices. The displacement on the transverse plane was greater in the anterior region for most devices, forward on the anteroposterior plane, and downward on the vertical plane. Conclusions: Using bone-borne devices in late adolescents with UCLP might be useful for correcting transverse maxillary deficiency.