Malocclusions have a continuously increasing prevalence from one generation to another as a result of climate change, soil, atmosphere, and water pollution. All of these aspects have unfavorable consequences for the nutritional scheme. Thus, nutrition, together with other etiopathogenic factors, contributes to complex alterations in the somatic development of the entire organism and, implicitly, of the cephalic extremity. The study group included 4147 children from randomly selected schools from Vâlcea County, Romania. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of malocclusions in schoolchildren in Vâlcea County, Romania, according to the three main classes of malocclusions (according to Angle’s classification), age groups (from 6 to 10 years old and from 11 to 14 years old), gender (male and female), and place of origin (rural and urban). For Angle class I malocclusions, we recorded the highest prevalence (48.78% of the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions), followed by Angle class II malocclusions (45.85% of the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions), and for Angle class III malocclusions we found the lowest prevalence (5.37% of the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions). According to gender, we found the highest prevalence in the female gender (29.90% of the total number of female subjects), while in the male gender, we recorded a prevalence of 27.70% of the total number of male subjects. Regarding the place of origin, there is a higher prevalence of malocclusions in urban areas (29.16%). The study subgroup included 140 children randomly selected from the total number of subjects in the study group. They were included in a more advanced study. The aim is to find potential associations between the presence of malocclusions and various oral variables. Categorical variables were expressed as numerical values and percentages, and their association was evaluated with either the Chi-square test of association or homogeneity, or the Fisher Exact test. The acquired data were incorporated into a binomial logistic regression model to assess the likelihood of developing malocclusions in relation to the following variables: defective phonation, bruxism, frequency of teeth brushing, onychophagia, oral respiration, infantile deglutition, placing objects between the maxillaries, thumb sucking, and salivary aspects. It is also aimed at comparing the results obtained with similar ones from the specialized literature.

Malocclusions negatively influence dental function, physical well-being, and quality of life. According to data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), malocclusions represent the third most widespread oral health problem, after dental caries and periodontal diseases. In recent years, more and more people call for orthodontic treatment with fixed braces that aim at establishing a dental, aesthetic, and functional balance, compatible with a normal life. Our study assessed the histopathological and immunohistochemical changes that occurred in superficial marginal periodontal components, in a number of 23 patients diagnosed with malocclusions, as a result of orthodontic treatment with fixed metal braces. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the remodeling of the tissues in the superficial periodontium during orthodontic migration, microscopic aspects that are essential to evaluate the effectiveness of the orthodontic treatment.

Malocclusions have a continuously increasing prevalence from a generation to another as a result of climate changes, soil, atmosphere and water pollution. All of these aspects have unfavorable consequences on the nutritional scheme. Thus, nutrition together with other etiopathogenic factors contribute to complex alterations in the somatic development of the entire organism and, implicitly, of the cephalic extremity. The study group included 4147 children from randomly selected schools from Vâlcea County, Romania. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of malocclusions in schoolchildren from Vâlcea County, Romania, according to the three main classes of malocclusions (according to Angle’s classification), age groups (from 6 to 10 years old and from 11 to 14 years old), gender (male and female) and place of origin (rural and urban). For Angle class I malocclusions we recorded the highest prevalence (48,78% from the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions), followed by Angle class II malocclusions (45,85% from the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions) and for Angle class III malocclusions we found the lowest prevalence (5,37% from the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions).According to gender, we found the highest prevalence in female gender (29,90% from the total number of female subjects), while in male gender we recorded a prevalence of 27,70% from the total number of male subjects. Regarding the place of origin, there is a higher prevalence of malocclusions in the urban areas (29,16%). The study subgroup included 140 children randomly selected from the total number of subjects from the study group. They were included in a more advanced study. The aim is to find potential associations between the presence of malocclusions and various oral variables. Categorical variables were expressed as numerical values and percentages, and their association was evaluated with either the Chi-square test of association or homogeneity, or the Fisher Exact test. The acquired data were incorporated into a binomial logistic regression model to assess the likelihood of developing malocclusions in relation to the following variables: defective phonation, bruxism, frequency of teeth brushing, onychophagia, oral respiration, infantile deglutition, placing objects between the maxillaries, thumb sucking and salivary aspects. It is also aimed to compare the results obtained with similar ones from the specialized literature.

CBCT (cone beam computed tomography) is an imaging investigation that provides three-dimensional (3D) images of craniofacial structures. The purpose of this study is to determine the mechanical behavior of an orthodontic system where the lingual treatment technique was used in a 25-year-old female patient from whom a set of CBCT scans was used. CBCT images were processed through software programs such as Invesalius, Geomagic, and Solid Works, to create models containing virtual solids. These models were then imported into Ansys Workbench 2019 R3 (a finite element method software program) for successive simulations to generate displacement maps, deformations, stress distributions, and diagrams. We observed that in the lingual technique, the lowest force occurring on the maxillary teeth is at 1.1, while the highest force appears at 2.3. In the mandible, the lowest force occurs at 4.6, and the highest force at 3.1. The values of the forces and the results of the finite element method can represent a basis for the innovation of new orthodontic springs and also of bracket elements. Thus, by using new technologies, orthodontic practice can be significantly improved for the benefit of patients. Other virtual methods and techniques can be used in future studies, including the application of virtual reality for orthodontic diagnosis.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is closely related to periodontal disease and dental lesions, disorders which through dental infection and metabolic imbalance become negatively potentiated and cause a vicious circle that is almost impossible to break. The aim of this research was to study if the severity of dental and periodontal lesions is related to the presence of microvascular complications and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: In total, 112 subjects with T2DM that underwent a dental evaluation were enrolled in this case–control study. The study group included 56 patients with complicated lesions, whereas the control group included 56 patients whose gender and age matched the study group and that presented superficial lesions. The statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 26.0, with the result being considered statistically significant if the p values were <0.05. Results: Statistically significant differences were recorded between the two groups regarding the value of blood glucose, HbA1c and fibrinogen, as well as kidney function. Statistically significant differences were also recorded between the two groups when analyzing the presence of microvascular complications, as well as individually analyzed, in the case of diabetic peripheral sensory-motor neuropathy (p < 0.001), but also of diabetic retinopathy (p < 0.05). This study developed a score with a predictive value for the presence of complicated dental and periodontal lesions, including blood glucose, fibrinogen, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (AUROC 0.847, p < 0.001). Conclusions: There is a high frequency of dental and periodontal complications in patients with T2DM. Patients with microvascular complications, elevated fasting blood glucose, and chronic inflammation, as evidenced by elevated fibrinogen, are more likely to develop complicated dental and periodontal lesions.

Backgrounds/Objectives: The finite element method (FEM) is an advanced numerical technique that can be applied in orthodontics to study tooth movements, stresses, and deformations that occur during orthodontic treatment. It is also useful for simulating and visualizing the biomechanical behavior of teeth, tissues, and orthodontic appliances in various clinical scenarios. The objective of this research was to analyze the mechanical behavior of teeth, tissues, and orthodontic appliances in various clinical scenarios. Materials and Methods: For this study, we utilized a model derived from a set of CBCT scans of a 26-year-old female patient who underwent fixed orthodontic treatment using the lingual technique. Through a series of programs based on reverse engineering, we constructed a three-dimensional reconstruction of the teeth and their internal structures. Using the finite element method (FEM), we obtained six simulations of an orthodontic system utilizing the fixed lingual technique, in which we employed brackets made of chrome–nickel or gold, and archwires made of nitinol, gold, or stainless steel. Results: The study reveals that although the deformation of the archwires during orthodontic treatment is the same, the forces generated by the three types of archwires on brackets differ. The variation in forces applied to the brackets in the fixed lingual orthodontic technique is essential for customizing orthodontic treatment, as these forces must be precisely controlled to ensure effective tooth movement and prevent overloading of the dental structures. Conclusions: The FEM analysis allows for the identification of ideal combinations between the materials used for orthodontic archwires and the materials used for brackets. This ensures that the optimal intensity of forces applied during the fixed lingual orthodontic technique results in desired tooth movements without causing damage to the enamel, dentin, or pulp of the teeth.