At T2, the animals in the group A had greater sagittal and vertical mandibular growth compared with the other three groups. TMJ arthritis caused diminished mandibular growth. However, relative mandibular growth was significantly less in group D. The findings of this study do not indicate a positive long-term effect in the use of IACI in the TMJ as an early treatment intervention against TMJ inflammation in growing individuals.

In general, the control group exhibited only minor or no changes during the period of observation, whereas treatment with the IHA resulted in statistically significant and favourable changes of the recorded variables. In the IHA patients, ANB angle was reduced on average by 2.1 degrees. However, a skeletal post-normality (ANB = 3.9 degrees) remained even though a Class I dental relationship had been obtained. In comparison with treatment effects achieved with other designs of Herbst appliances, some minor differences in the changes of the variables SNA and ML/NSL were noted in the present study. These differences could probably be attributed to the particular treatment protocol which was applied in the IHA treatments.

Treatment changes in both appliance groups differed significantly (P ≤ 0.001) from those in the control group, except for Ss–y, Ls–y, Li–E, and A–y measurements in the TB group and Ls–y, Li–E, nasolabial angle, and A–y measurements in the activator group. When the effects of the two appliances were compared, significant differences were observed only for SS–y (P ≤ 0.05), Ss–E (P ≤ 0.05), Si–E (P ≤ 0.05), and nasolabial angle (P ≤ 0.01). The effects of the activator and TB appliances on the soft tissue profile were similar; both significantly changed the soft tissue profile.

There were distinct gender differences. All angles were larger in females: nasofrontal (G–N–Nd, females = 139.11 degrees; males 136.38 degrees; P = 0.030), nasolabial (Cm–Sn–Ls, females = 109.39 degrees; males = 105.42 degrees; P = 0.018), mentolabial (Li–Sm–Pg, females = 134.5 degrees; males = 129.26 degrees; P = 0.019), and nasal tip angle (N–Prn–Cm, female = 84.12 degrees; male = 79.85; P = 0.001). The greatest variability was found for mentolabial angle.

The findings demonstrate a distinct profile trait for female Croatian patients compared with male subjects.

A panel of 74 adult laymen (35 males and 39 females) and a panel of 87 orthodontists (37 males and 50 females) evaluated sets of three post-treatment standardized photographs (one frontal, one three-quarter smiling, and one lateral) of 64 adolescent orthodontic patients in relation to the pre-treatment sets of the same patient on a five-point scale. The main effects of professional background, age, gender, and geographic region of the panel members on the aesthetic scores, as well as their first order interactions were evaluated by multilevel models.

Professional background, age, gender, and geographical region of panel members have an influence on the evaluation of the change of facial aesthetics following orthodontic treatment. The effect of gender and Angle Class of the patients on the scores was evaluated by two-way analysis of variance. There was no difference in the mean scores for boys and girls. Improvement of facial aesthetics by orthodontic treatment was significant for Class I, Class II division 1, and Class II division 2 patients, but not for Class III patients.

Based on the intraclass correlation coefficient, a panel of nine randomly selected orthodontists, a panel of 14 randomly selected laymen, or a mixed panel of 13 individuals is sufficient to obtain reliable results in the aesthetic evaluation of adolescent faces, using photographs and a five-point scale.

A statistically significant decrease (P < 0.05) in headgear wear was observed in the control group from the first to the sixth month; however, the difference in the hypnosis group was not significant. This result indicates that conscious hypnosis is an effective method for improving orthodontic patient cooperation. There was a low correlation between actual headgear wear indicated by the patient and that recorded by the timing modules, which showed that, timetables are not consistent tools for measuring patient cooperation.

Supplementation during Phase I in the early group produced significant treatment effects in cranial and cranial base, midface, posterior corpus, and limb lengths which varied inversely with relative maturity (percentage growth completed at the start of the study). During Phase II, GH supplementation in the early and late groups showed treatment effects as above and additional viscerocranial and mandibular measurements, but these effects were unrelated to the relative maturity of the variables. These latter results are at variance with earlier findings in GH-deficient rats, raising the possibility that that GH-normal rats may not respond to GH supplementation in a similar fashion to GH-deficient rats.

The subjects were 71 TS individuals and their female family members (n = 50). Tongue position was evaluated on lateral cephalograms, the palatal height and width measurements and observation of the presence of lateral palatine ridges on dental casts. Differences in tongue position and the palatal index were assessed by an independent sample's t-test, and the relationship between the presence of lateral palatine ridges, tongue position, and palatal dimensions by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc multiple comparison test. Partial correlation analysis was used to determine the association of palatal dimensions between TS daughters and their mothers.

The distance of the tongue from the palate was significantly longer in the TS subjects compared with the controls [10.9 mm (standard deviation, SD, 4.0) versus 7.6 mm (SD 3.4), respectively, P < 0.001] indicating a low tongue position in TS. The TS subjects with prominent lateral palatine ridges had significantly narrower posterior palates compared with the TS subjects without lateral palatine ridges [29.5 mm (SD 3.1) versus 31.5 mm (SD 2.2), respectively, P < 0.05]. There was a trend for an association between mothers and their TS daughters in palatal width measurements at the level of the upper first premolars (r = 0.78, P = 0.07).

The tongue position in TS females is low. The presence of prominent lateral palatine ridges is associated with a reduced palatal width.

No disease-associated IRF6 mutation could be determined in the families analyzed. One new and seven known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. The A allele of SNP rs861019 in exon 2 and the G allele of SNP rs7552506 in intron 3 showed association with cleft lip and palate (CLP; odds ratios of 3.1 and 5.45, respectively). Hypodontia was observed more commonly in individuals affected with CL/P as compared with family members without a cleft (P < 0.01). The hypodontia most often affected the cleft area, possibly representing a secondary effect. The distribution of cleft phenotypes in 15 of the 17 families with NSCL/P differed from the mixed cleft types seen in Van der Woude syndrome (VWS), in that CLP did not occur together with an isolated cleft palate within the same family. It was concluded that mutations of the IRF6 gene are not a common cause for cleft predisposition in Swedish NSCL/P families.

Silanized and non-silanized ceramic and polycarbonate brackets (N = 48, n = 24 per bracket type) were bonded to extracted caries-free human maxillary central incisors using an alignment apparatus under a weight of 750 g. All bonded specimens were thermocycled 1000 times (5–55°C). Half of the specimens from each group were debonded with a universal testing machine (1 mm/minute) to determine the SBS and the other half by an operator using orthodontic debonding pliers. Failure types of the enamel surface and the bracket base were identified both from visual inspection and digital photographs using the adhesive remnant index (ARI) and base remnant index (BRI).

As-received ceramic brackets showed significantly higher bond strength values (11.5 ± 4.1 MPa) than polycarbonate brackets [6.3 ± 2.7 MPa; (P = 0.0077; analysis of variance (ANOVA)]. Interaction between bracket types and silanization was not significant (P = 0.4408). Silanization did not significantly improve the mean SBS results either for the ceramic or polycarbonate brackets (12.9 ± 3.7 and 6.3 ± 2.7 MPa, respectively; P = 0.4044; two-way ANOVA, Tukey-Kramer adjustment). There was a significant difference between groups in ARI scores for ceramic (P = 0.0991) but not polycarbonate (P = 0.3916; Kruskall-Wallis) brackets. BRI values did not vary significantly for ceramic (P = 0.1476) or polycarbonate (P = 0.0227) brackets. Failure type was not significantly different when brackets were debonded with a universal testing machine or with orthodontic debonding pliers. No enamel damage was observed in any of the groups.

Acid-etched, 1-, 1.5-, and 2-W laser irradiation groups demonstrated a clinically acceptable mean SBS (7.65 ± 1.38, 6.69 ± 1.27, 7.13 ± 1.67, 7.17 ± 1.69 MPa, respectively). Irradiation with an output of 0.5 and 0.75 W and sandblasting of the enamel showed a lower SBS than the other groups (2.94 ± 1.98, 4.16 ± 2.87, 2.01 ± 0.64 MPa, respectively). SEM evaluation of 1, 1.5, and 2 W laser irradiation revealed similar etching patterns to acid etching. Sandblasting and 0.5, and 0.75 W laser etching were not able to etch enamel in preferential patterns. Laser irradiation at 1.5 and 2 W was able to etch enamel. More adhesive was left on the enamel surface with low-power laser irradiation.

Sandblasting and low-power laser irradiation (0.5, 0.75, and 1 W) are not capable of etching enamel suitable for orthodontic molar tube bonding, but 1.5- and 2-W laser irradiation may be an alternative to conventional acid etching.

The results suggest that the load due to buckling depends on material composition, wire length, the amount of activation, temperature, and deformation rate. The results can be considered as the lower bound for the loads experienced by teeth as far as a buckled wire is concerned. At a temperature higher than the austenite finish transition temperature, superelastic wires were strongly dependent on temperature and deformation rate. The effect due to an increase of deformation rate was similar to that of a decrease of temperature. Load variations due to temperature of a superelastic wire with a length of 20 mm were estimated to be approximately 4 g/°C. The high performance of an applied superelastic wire may be related to the high dynamics of the load in relation to temperature.

The study group comprised of 277 patients [162 females: median age 14.8 years, interquartile range (IQR) 13.6–16.5 years and 115 males: median age 15.3 years, IQR 14.2–16.7 years]. After acid etching the lingual surfaces of each tooth, an adhesive resin was applied and retainers were bonded using a flowable resin composite. Data concerning, failures, gender, age of the patient, and operator experience were retrieved from the patient files that were updated by chart entries every 6 months or when failure was reported by the patient. The maximum follow-up period was 41.7 months. All 277 patients received flexible, braided, bonded mandibular canine-to-canine retainers. Eighteen failures were observed in the maxilla. A failure was recorded when there was debonding, fracture, or both, occurring in one arch. Only first failures were used for statistical analysis. When failures occurred in both jaws, these were considered as two separate incidences.

Ninety-nine debonding (35.7 per cent), two fractures (0.7 per cent), and four debonding and fracture (1.4 per cent) events were observed. No significant effect (P > 0.05) of gender (females: 41 per cent, males: 32 per cent) or patient age (<16 years: 37 per cent, ≥16 years 38.7 per cent) was observed. The failure rate did not differ due to operator experience (n = 15; less experienced: 38.0 per cent; moderately experienced: 28.9 per cent, professional: 46.7 per cent; P > 0.05; chi-square test). Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed a 63 per cent success rate for the bonded lingual retainers over a 41.7 month period.

The range for CIE L* (lightness) was 36.2–50.3, for a* (red–green parameter) –1.3–3.8 and for b* (yellow–blue parameter) –2.9–11.2. All these colour co-ordinates were influenced by bracket brand (P < 0.05). Diffuse light transmittance was also influenced by bracket brand and ranged from 44.9 to 75.9 per cent (P < 0.05).

Colour and transmittance varied by bracket brand. Variations in optical properties influenced the aesthetic performance of the brackets and the degree of cure of the adhesive that is possible through the brackets. Further studies on the clinical implications of colour matching of tooth-coloured brackets with teeth should now be performed.

Thirty-seven patients (14 males and 23 females) with a mean age of 16 years 5 months were included in the study. Six hundred and seventy-two brackets were bonded by one operator using a split-mouth design, with either SEP (Transbond Plus) or CM (Transbond XT). Bracket failure rates were estimated with respect to bonding procedure, dental arch, type of tooth (incisor, canine, and premolar), and gender. The results were evaluated using the chi-square test. The survival rate of the brackets was estimated with Kaplan–Meier analysis. Bracket survival distributions with respect to bonding procedure, dental arch, type of tooth, and patient gender were compared with a log-rank test. Bond failure interface was determined with the adhesive remnant index (ARI).

The failure rates were 0.6 per cent for both bonding procedures. The failure and survival rates did not show significant differences between the bonding procedures, upper and lower dental arches, or gender. However, premolar brackets displayed a higher bond failure rate and a lower survival rate than incisor and canine brackets (P < 0.05). The mean bracket bonding time per tooth with SEP was significantly shorter than with CM (P < 0.001). No significant difference was observed for the ARI scores (P > 0.05).

The results of this in vivo, randomized, cross-mouth clinical trial demonstrated a high survival rate with Transbond Plus. This finding indicates that SEP can be effectively used for bonding of orthodontic brackets.

Biopsies were taken from 20 subjects (10 with vertical facial deformity and 10 with normal vertical facial form to act as a control group). The sample group consisted of 15 females and 5 males and the average age of the donors ± standard deviation (SD) was 26.04 ± 6.16 years (range: 17.67–31.25 years). Biopsy samples were then subjected to zymography and reverse zymography to assess MMP and TIMP expression, respectively. Lateral skull cephalograms were analysed for each subject using Spearman's rho correlation coefficients and Mann–Whitney U-tests.

TIMP-1 activity was consistently expressed in human masseter muscle. MMP-2, MMP-9, and TIMP-2 activity, when detected, was at a low level. These data indicate that in most individuals, an excess of TIMP-1, compared with MMP-2 and MMP-9, limits ECM turnover in human masseter muscle. There was a demonstrable variation in proteinase expression between different individuals. These preliminary findings, however, do not confirm that indices of ECM turnover are a reflection of an individual's vertical facial form.