Assessment of midpalatal suture maturation is crucial before deciding which type of maxillary expansion technique will be performed to treat transverse discrepancies. In 2013, Angelieri et al. proposed a new method to evaluate midpalatal maturation using cone-beam computed tomography. The aim of this study was to systematically identify, evaluate, and provide a synthesis of the existing literature about this new method and to rigorously assess the methodological quality of these articles. A bibliographic search was carried out using PubMed, Cochrane Library, SciELO, LILACS, Web of Science, and Scopus using the terms midpalatal suture, cranial sutures, palate, maturation, interdigitation, ossification, maxillary expansion, evaluation, assessment, and assess. Quality assessment was performed using the Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies tool developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Hence, 56 articles were obtained, of which only 10 met the selection criteria. We could not include any of the data into an analysis because of the large variation of the data collected and high methodological heterogeneity found among studies. Of all the studies included, 10% had poor quality, 70% fair, and 20% good quality, respectively. Even though age and sex play a role in midpalatal suture obliteration, there is a poor correlation between these variables. Thus, every patient should be assessed individually before choosing the best protocol for maxillary expansion. The midpalatal suture maturation method has the potential to be used for diagnostic purposes, but clinicians should be cautious of routinely using it because an extensive training and calibration program should be performed prior.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the frequency of midpalatal maturational stages in a Chilean urban sample of adolescents, post-adolescents and young adults, associated with chronological age and sex, by assessing CBCT scan images. Tomographic images in axial sections of the midpalatal sutures from 116 adolescents and young adults (61 females and 55 males, 10–25 years old) were classified according to their morphologic characteristics in five maturational stages (A, B, C, D and E), as proposed by Angelieri et al. The sample was divided into three groups: adolescents, post-adolescents and young adults. Three previously calibrated examiners (radiologist, orthodontist and general dentist) analyzed and classified the images. Stages A, B and C were considered to be an open midpalatal suture, and D and E were considered to be a partially or totally closed midpalatal suture. The most frequent stage of maturation was D (37.9%), followed by C (24%) and E (19.6%). The possibility of finding closed midpalatal sutures in individuals of 10 to 15 years was 58.4%, and in subjects aged 16 to 20 and 21 to 25 years, it was 51.7% and 61.7%, respectively. In males, Stages D and E were present in 45.4%; for females, this prevalence was 68.8%. Individual assessment of the midpalatal suture in each patient is of crucial importance before making the clinical decision of which is the best maxillary expansion method. Due to the extensive calibration and training required, it is advisable to always request a report from a radiologist. Individual evaluation with 3D imaging is recommended because of the great variability observed in the ossification of midpalatal sutures in adolescents, post-adolescents and young adults.

Mandibular movement recording is relevant for the planning and evaluation of mandibular function. These movements can include mandibular border movements (MBM) or mastication. Our objective was to characterize the kinematics of MBM and mastication among skeletal classes I, II, and III in the three spatial planes. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 30 participants. Instructions were provided on how to form Posselt’s envelope and to perform masticatory. After data processing, we obtained numerical values for the areas, trajectories, and ranges of MBM that formed Posselt’s envelope and the values for speed, masticatory frequency, and the areas of each masticatory cycle. Significant differences were found in the area of Posselt’s envelope in the horizontal plane between skeletal classes I and III and in the range of right laterality between skeletal classes II and III. Mastication showed significant differences in the area of the masticatory cycles in the horizontal plane between classes I and III and between classes II and III. In conclusion, there were differences in MBM and mastication between skeletal classes III and I in the horizontal plane. This study supports the need to establish normal values for mandibular kinematics in skeletal class III.

El uso del láser de baja potencia en odontología está siendo cada vez más frecuente y con excelentes resultados, los equipos más modernos traen pre-establecidos la dosimetría de los parámetros para las diferentes acciones clínicas. El objetivo de esta revisión fue encontrar evidencia científica que permita al clínico tener como una alternativa de tratamiento el uso del láser de baja potencia en patologías orales de tejidos blandos y duros en pacientes pediátricos. Se realizó una revisión de la literatura por medio de buscadores como PubMed, LILACS y SciELO. Después de leer a texto completo todos los trabajos es posible señalar que el láser de baja frecuencia es una buena alternativa terapéutica en la resolución de signos y síntomas en patologías orales que aquejan al paciente pediátrico, puesto que, presenta un rápido control del dolor, la inflamación, el sangrado y acelera los procesos de reparación celular.

Introduction: Dentomaxillary Anomalies (DMA) affect the growth and morphology of the stomatognathic system of individuals, representing a public health problem. Few studies have described its prevalence among vulnerable populations in Chile. The aim of the study was to explore the prevalence of DMA and its association to non-physiological habits (NFH) and sociodemographic characteristics among primary school children living in Ercilla, Chile. Material and Methods: A convenience sample of 327 primary school students from six schools in Ercilla, were assessed through an intraoral and extraoral evaluation. Overjet, overbite, molar relationship, presence of DMAs, and NFHs were measured. Descriptive statistics, analysis of association between DMAs and studied factors, and logistic regression models were done and odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals presented. Results: A total of 61.5% of students presented at least one DMA. Chi-square test showed no significant association between DMA prevalence and NHFs, however, after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, children with NFH were 1.69 (95%CI 1.02-2.78) times more likely to have DMAs. Gender and area of residence were not significantly associated with DMAs. Conclusion: In children from Ercilla, DMAs were associated with NFHs, however, sociodemographic characteristics did not have a significant role in the presence of DMA, suggesting that sociodemographic factors might not strongly influence orthodontic needs among children from this geographical area.