Background/Objectives: Multiple factors may contribute to the development of open bite malocclusion, including genetics and environmental factors. Anterior open bite is usually related to the interposition of the tongue between the dental arches during swallowing or at rest. But how important is the role of the tongue in the development of anterior open bite? And how does anterior open bite malocclusion influence tongue behavior? With this study, we would like to offer a better understanding on the importance of tongue function in the context of this malocclusion. Methods: In this narrative review, a comprehensive electronic search was conducted via PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. The inclusion criteria were original research articles published between 2014 and 2024 with full text access. The exclusion criteria were articles older than 10 years and articles with restricted access or without full text access. Results: Out of the initial 1231 articles, 9 articles were found to be eligible for the present study. The tongue is a part of the neutral zone of the oral cavity, together with the lips and cheek musculature, forming a corridor of equilibrium. If this neuromuscular balance is altered, the teeth will move out of the neutral zone, and various malocclusions may develop. Patients with anterior open bite experience difficulties in closing the anterior portion of the oral cavity during swallowing; therefore, adaptative changes occur in an attempt to compensate by changing the dynamics of the tongue. Conclusions: The cause–effect relationship between tongue malfunction and anterior open bite remains controversial. This review article mentions the possible role of the tongue in anterior open bite etiology, but evidence is still needed on this subject, as it is yet unclear whether the influence of the tongue is a primary cause, an influencing factor, or just a consequence of an already-existing vertical occlusal pathology.

Orthodontic treatment is commonly associated with pain, leading to reduced patient compliance and treatment adherence. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective in reducing this pain by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis. However, this mechanism may also interfere with orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) by affecting bone remodeling. This narrative review investigates the existing literature published between 2004 and 2024 to assess the impact of various NSAIDs on OTM and identify those that balance pain relief with minimal impact on tooth movement. Evidence shows that NSAIDs such as aspirin, ketorolac, diclofenac, and nimesulide significantly reduce OTM. The results for ibuprofen, meloxicam, and celecoxib were inconsistent with both no influence or a reduction in OTM, depending on dosage, mode, and duration of administration. Conversely, tenoxicam, nabumetone, etoricoxib, and parecoxib appear to have no effect on OTM. Among these, etoricoxib appears particularly promising due to its favorable gastrointestinal profile, high COX-2 selectivity, and negligible influence on OTM in clinical doses. However, the limited number of human trials highlights the need for further research to develop evidence-based guidelines for pain management that preserve treatment efficiency in orthodontics.

The paper presents an original solution for modeling and simulation of the teeth movement biomedical processes which occur in the case of orthodontic treatments. The direct application of this method consists in the possibility to approximate, with high precision, the orthodontic treatment duration, depending on the physical characteristics of each patient. This aspect represents a novelty element in the biomedical processes’ domain since, until now, the research activities in the mentioned field did not generate a solution for the approximation of the orthodontic treatment’s duration. Analog modeling of the biomedical process operates with a fictional shaft defined to highlight the tooth symmetry axis. The tooth considered as an example is approximated as having a parabolic shape with an elliptical section. The digital simulation refers to the spatial-temporal evolution of this fictional shaft in the orthodontic dynamics, being made through the run of four computer programming algorithms. Interpretation of the obtained performance indicators will lead to an interesting study regarding the dynamics’ process in orthodontics, having a pronounced unitary and systematic characteristic. Using the developed programs for obtaining the simulations results presented in the four tables and in the 18 figures shown in the paper, several case studies can be elaborated, associated with a wide variety of orthodontic treatments.

Background/Objectives: The relationship between chronological age, dental age, and cervical vertebral maturation is critical for assessing the reliability of dental age as an indicator of skeletal age and for identifying the patient’s growth peak. This assessment facilitates the planning of appropriate orthodontic-orthopedic treatment. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed data from the Clinical Department of Orthodontics and Dento-Facial Orthopedics in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The sample included 73 patients with Class II malocclusion (31 males and 42 females), with data obtained from orthopantomography and lateral cephalometric radiographs. Dental age was evaluated using both the Demirjian method and the Chronology of Eruption method. Skeletal age was determined based on Baccetti’s cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) staging method. Results: A strong and statistically significant correlation was found between cervical vertebral maturation and chronological age (r = 0.81, p < 0.001), as well as between cervical vertebral maturation and dental age assessed using the Demirjian method (rs = 0.72, p < 0.001). Additionally, a significant correlation was observed between cervical vertebral maturation and dental age assessed using the Chronology of Eruption method (rs = 0.78, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The correlation found between dental age and skeletal maturity suggests that dental age (DA) assessment might serve as a supplementary tool for estimating a patient’s growth peak in Class II malocclusion cases. Future research exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in panoramic radiograph analysis could improve the accuracy and consistency of DA assessment, contributing to more reliable skeletal maturity evaluations.

Introduction: Smile esthetics play a central role in social interaction, self-esteem, and self-confidence, and may influence individuals’ perception of orthodontic treatment need. Understanding how patients evaluate their own smile and how this perception relates to treatment demand is increasingly relevant for patient-centered orthodontic care. This study aimed to examine the associations between demographic factors, self-perception of smile esthetics, psychosocial behaviors, and perceived need for orthodontic treatment. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire, yielding 303 valid responses. The questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, satisfaction with smile appearance, smile-related avoidance behaviors, awareness of dental esthetics, and self-perceived orthodontic treatment need. Associations between variables were analyzed using Chi-square tests, Kendall’s tau_b, Spearman’s rho, and Cramer’s V coefficients. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with perceived treatment need. Results: Gender was significantly associated with satisfaction with smile appearance, concern about dental esthetics, and awareness of the importance of aligned teeth (p ≤ 0.001), with weak to moderate effect sizes. Age showed statistically significant but weak correlations with smile-related behaviors and perceived treatment need (|τ| ≈ 0.11–0.12; p < 0.05). Lower satisfaction with one’s smile was moderately associated with a higher perceived need for orthodontic treatment (τb = −0.20; p < 0.001). Avoidance of smiling and covering the mouth while speaking were positively associated with perceived treatment need (p < 0.01). Discussions: Regression analysis confirmed that dissatisfaction with smile esthetics, smile-avoidance behaviors, and belief in the esthetic benefits of dental alignment were significant predictors of perceived orthodontic treatment need. Self-perception of smile esthetics and related psychosocial behaviors are significantly associated with individuals’ perceived need for orthodontic treatment. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of incorporating patient-reported perceptions and psychosocial factors into orthodontic assessment and shared decision-making.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), either as single agents or in combination with other drugs, have become a gold standard in many oncological pathologies. The identification, analysis, and clinical management of their multiple and various systemic adverse events are a clear requirement and represent a true challenge in daily practice. For this narrative review, registration clinical trials that have led to the approval of certain TKI protocols in the setting of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were identified via the latest version of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) kidney cancer guidelines. The following keywords were used: Axitinib, Cabozantinib, Lenvatinib, Pazopanib, Sorafenib, Sunitinib, and Tivozanib. RCC therapies have been proven to frequently induce oral symptoms and pathologies such as stomatitis, dysgeusia, xerostomia, osteonecrosis of the jaws, oral dysesthesia, geographic tongue, and dental and periodontal damage. The aim of this review is to emphasize the mechanisms of these common drug-induced buccodental toxicities associated with TKI therapies in RCC and to draft a general clinical management of these adverse events, in order to improve patients’ quality of life and treatment adherence.