Rapid maxillary expansion in the primary and mixed dentitions: a cephalometric evaluation

The present study evaluated the skeletal alterations induced by rapid maxillary expansion procedures in 30 patients in the primary and mixed dentitions. The results were obtained with the use of lateral cephalometrics before and immediately after the active phase of expansion. The time span between these two cephalometric films ranged from 14 to 21 days; therefore the "growth factor" was not considered. Based on the differences in the cephalometric measurements studied on the first and second tracings, it seems that anterior displacement of the maxilla with significant changes in the SNA angle should not be expected, although point B was repositioned more posteriorly (SNB) because of the mandibular downward and backward rotation, with subsequent increase of the inclination of the mandibular plane. The alterations in the A-P position of the mandible was reflected in the increase of ANB and NAP angles. The maxilla always dislocates downward, displaying a downward and backward rotation in the palatine plane, significantly altering the following measurements: N-ANS, PNS-PNS', A-A', SN.PP. The anchoring molars also follow the downward maxillary displacement (M-M') and, as a direct consequence of the vertical displacement of the maxilla and upper molars (N-ANS, A-A', ANS-Me, N-Me, PNS-PNS'), the facial heights increase.     

Degree of conversion of nanofilled and microhybrid composite resins photo-activated by different generations of LEDs

Objective

This study aimed at evaluating the degree of conversion (DC) of four composite resins, being one nanofilled and 3 microhybrid resins, photo-activated with second- and third-generation light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Material and methods

Filtek^TM Z350 nanofilled composite resins and Amelogen^® Plus, Vit-l-escence^TM and Opallis microhybrid resins were photo-activated with two second-generation LEDs (Radii-cal and Elipar Free Light^TM 2) and one third-generation LED (Ultra-Lume LED 5) by continuous light mode, and a quartz halogen-tungsten bulb (QHT, control). After 24 h of storage, the samples were pulverized into fine powder and 5 mg of each material were mixed with 100 mg of potassium bromide (KBr). After homogenization, they were pressed, which resulted in a pellet that was evaluated using an infrared spectromer (Nexus 470, Thermo Nicolet) equipped with TGS detector using diffuse reflectance (32 scans, resolution of 4 cm^-1) coupled to a computer. The percentage of unreacted carbon-carbon double bonds (% C=C) was determined from the ratio of absorbance intensities of aliphatic C=C (peak at 1637 cm-1) against internal standard before and after curing of the specimen: aromatic C-C (peak at 1610 cm-1).

Results

The ANOVA showed a significant effect on the interaction between the light-curing units (LCUs) and the composite resins (p<0.001). The Tukey''s test showed that the nanofilled resin (Filtek^TM Z350) and Opallis when photo-activated by the halogen lamp (QTH) had the lowest DC compared with the other microhybrid composite resins. The DC of the nanofilled resin (Filtek^TM Z350) was also lower using LEDs. The highest degrees of conversion were obtained using the third-generation LED and one of second-generation LEDs (Elipar Free Light^TM 2).

Conclusions

The nanofilled resin showed the lowest DC, and the Vit-l-escence^TM microhybrid composite resin showed the highest DC. Among the LCUs, it was not possible to establish an order, even though the second-generation LED Radii-cal provided the lowest DC.     

Absence and hypoplasia of the mental foramen detected in CBCT images: a case report

The mental foramen (MF) is an important anatomic landmark of the mandible, through which the mental nerve and blood vessels emerge. The importance of MF in dental practice is especially related to dental implants placement and other surgical procedures in the region. It is fundamental to be careful in order to avoid nerve and vessels injury during procedures. Anatomic variations of the MF can be found, such as occurrence of multiple foramina and unusual location. In very rare occasions, the absence of MF can be detected. The observation of this variation is not always possible using only conventional radiographs. The modern imaging resource cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) allows an accurate three-dimensional assessment of MF, as well as the identification of its variations. The aim of this article is to report MF absence and hypoplasia detected in CBCT images of a 27-year-old daughter and her 63-year-old mother, both from Brazil. Despite the MF anatomic variations, they presented no sensorial disturbance in the regions supplied by the mental nerve.     

Osteoblastoma of the mandible: systematic review of the literature and report of a case

Benign osteoblastoma is a bone tumour that seldom occurs in the facial bones. The objective of this article is to add one more case of this rare lesion to the academic literature and to provide a systematic review of previously published cases. A new case of benign osteoblastoma is presented and clinical, radiographic and microscopic aspects, as well as differential diagnosis, treatment and follow-up are discussed. The importance of the correct diagnosis of this type of lesion is stressed, since it presents a clinical, radiographic and microscopic similarity to other bone lesions, including malignant tumours, which may lead the professional into conducting the case in an improper manner.     

Selecting a database for literature searches in nursing: MEDLINE or CINAHL?

This study compares the usefulness of the MEDLINE and CINAHL databases for students on post-registration nursing courses We searched for nine topics, using title words only Identical searches of the two databases retrieved 1162 references, of which 88% were in MEDLINE, 33% in CINAHL and 20% in both sources The relevance of the references was assessed by student reviewers The positive predictive value of CINAHL (70%) was higher than that of MEDLINE (54%), but MEDLINE produced more than twice as many relevant references as CINAHL The sensitivity of MEDLINE was 85% (95% CI 82–88%), and that of CINAHL was 41% (95% CI 37–45%) To assess the ease of obtaining the references, we developed an index of accessibility, based on the holdings of a number of Irish and British libraries Overall, 47% of relevant references were available in the students' own library, and 64% could be obtained within 48 hours There was no difference between the two databases overall, but when two topics relating specifically to the organization of nursing were excluded, references found in MEDLINE were significantly more accessible We recommend that MEDLINE should be regarded as the first choice of bibliographic database for any subject other than one related strictly to the organization of nursing