Retention Phase Research Articles

Comparing the efficacy of AR-based training with video-based training

In recent years, US Emergency Medical Services (EMS) have faced a massive shortage of EMS workers. The sudden outbreak of the pandemic has further exacerbated this issue by limiting in-person training. Additionally, current training modalities for first responders are costly and time-consuming, further limiting training opportunities. To overcome these challenges, this paper compares the efficacy of augmented reality (AR), an emerging training modality, and video-based training to address many of these issues without compromising the quality of the training with reduced instructor interaction. We examined performance, subjective, and physiological data to better understand workload, user engagement, and cognitive load distribution of 51 participants during training. The statistical analysis of physiological data and subjective responses indicate that performance during AR and video-based training and retention phases depended on gender perception of workload and cognitive load (intrinsic, germane, extraneous). However, user engagement was higher in AR-based training for both genders during training.

Retention behaviour of analytes in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-A review.

The understanding of principles that drive the separation in reversed-phase chromatography plays an important role in the prediction of the elution of solutes in RP-HPLC. The separation in RP-HPLC is based on the principle of adsorption and partition. In addition, the logP value, the pKa value of the drug and chromatographic parameters like mobile phase pH, buffer concentration, organic modifier and mobile phase additives also influence the retention and selectivity of the analyte. It was found that hydrophobic, electrostatic, hydrogen bonding and other specific interactions between the stationary phase and the solutes, along with the hydrophobicity of an analyte molecule (logP), modify the retention behaviour of the analytes. This article gives special attention to the influence of ionization and ion interaction on the separation of analytes. The drug molecules with different logP values containing protonated and deprotonated acids, bases and zwitterions are selected as examples and this article addresses various issues related to the method development, relationships between analyte retention and mobile phase pH and the pKa value of the analyte. The advances in this regard, with highlights on topics such as mechanisms of retention and various factors that influence the retention behaviour of analytes, are also updated with suitable examples.

Retention in Orthodontics: A review

Skeletal and dental correction obtained by orthodontic treatment may tend to return to the pre-treatment state. This condition is defined as relapse. The retention phase applied after treatment is important to obtain stable results. Periodontium, soft tissue pressures, growth and occlusion are among the factors affecting stability. In the last decade, interest in retention procedures has increased and it has been found that retention regimes differ from country to country. Although retention affects nearly every patient, there is minimal agreement on the most appropriate approach to be taken in an individual case. The many variations of the retention procedure, the introduction of different materials for retention, or individual patient factors are among the reasons that lead to difficulties in selecting retention protocols. Basic retention protocol is provided with removable and fixed retention appliances. For removable retention, hawley, wraparound, vacuum formed retention appliance and positioners are used. For fixed retention, rigid steel retention wire bonded to terminal teeth or flexible retention wires bonded to all teeth between 3-3 can be preferred. NiTi retention wires produced with CAD / CAM technology are also among the current materials. While fixed retention appliances do not require patient cooperation, periodontal follow-up is recommended. Patient cooperation is needed for the use of removable retention appliances, but easy cleaning of removable appliances is an advantage. ‘Adjunct’ procedures may also be applied to the teeth or surrounding periodontium to assist the retention process. For example, it involves reshaping teeth such as interproximal reduction or circumferential supracrestal fiberotomy. In this review, information about retention is discussed in the light of current literature. How to cite this article: Seki Yurdakul M, Meriç P. Retention in Orthodontics: A review. Int Dent Res 2022;12(2):88-96. https://doi.org/10.5577/intdentres.2022.vol12.no2.7 Linguistic Revision: The English in this manuscript has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English.

Age and attentional focus instructions effects on postural and supra-postural tasks among older adults with mild cognitive impairments.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the age and attentional focus instruction effects on the postural and supra-postural tasks among older adults with mild cognitive impairments. Forty healthy adults (mean age of 48.01 ± 5.45years) and 40 older adults with mild cognitive impairments (mean age of 69.87 ± 4.28years) were selected as participants. They were randomly divided into eight groups receiving internal and external attentional focus instructions for postural and supra-postural tasks. The postural status was evaluated by measuring the COP sway velocity with the Master Balance System. The results showed that in both phases of acquisition and retention, the main effect of the attentional focus type was significant (P < 0.05). The group's postural control with external attentional instructions was better than the group's postural control with internal attentional instructions. Furthermore, the CI elderly gained benefit from the guidelines of attentional focus. Results showed that the task type was not significant in the acquisition phase. However, in the retention phase, the main effect of the attentional focus type was significant. The groups' postural function with the supra-postural task was better than the groups with the postural task. Furthermore, the older adults showed a better postural function in the supra-postural task than in the postural task. Our results showed that the ability to allocate resources of attention may decrease with CI. These findings suggest that considering the effect of the supra-postural tasks' manipulation on postural control, it is possible to improve balance by designing training programs for directing supra-postural tasks. The findings of the present study can be a guide for educators and therapists. They can increase the balance of the patients by considering the dysfunction and the type of attentional guidelines to prevent them from falling and performing a dual task.

An aqueous macerate of Ziziphus jujuba reduces long-term spatial memory impairment in D-galactose treated rats: role of anti-inflammatory pathways.

Pharmacological treatments against Alzheimer disease provide only symptomatic relief and are associated with numerous side effects. Previous studies showed that a concoction of Ziziphus jujuba leaves possesses anti-amnesic effects in scopolamine-treated rats. More recently, an aqueous macerate of Z. jujuba leaves has been shown to reduce short-term memory impairment in D-galactose-treated rats. However, no study on the effect of an aqueous macerate of Z. jujuba on long-term memory impairment was performed. Therefore, this study evaluates the effect of an aqueous macerate of Z. jujuba on long-term spatial memory impairment in D-galactose-treated rats. Long-term spatial memory impairment was induced in rats by administering D-galactose (350mg/kg/day, s.c.), once dailyfor 21 days. On the 22nd day, the integrity of this memory was assessed using the Morris water maze task. Rats that developed memory impairment were treated with tacrine (10mg/kg, p.o.), or aspirin (20mg/kg, p.o.), or extract (41.5, 83, and 166mg/kg, p.o.), once daily, for 14 days. At the end of the treatment, memory impairment was once more assessed using the same paradigm. Animals were then euthanized, and some pro-inflammatory cytokine markers were analyzed in the hippocampus or blood. The extract at all doses significantly reduced the latency to attain the platforming of the water maze test. The extract (83mg/kg) also increased the time spent in the target quadrant during the retention phase. The extract markedly reduced the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokine markers in the hippocampus and blood. Together, these results suggest that this aqueous extract Z. jujuba reduces long-term spatial memory impairment. This effect may be mediated in part by its anti-inflammatory activity.

An aqueous extract of Syzygium cumini protects against kainate-induced status epilepticus and amnesia: evidence for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory intervention.

Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common drug-resistant epilepsy. To cure epilepsy, drugs must target the mechanisms at the origin of seizures. Thus, the present investigation aimed to evaluate the antiepileptic- and anti-amnesic-like effects of an aqueous extract of Syzygium cumini against kainate-induced status epilepticus in mice, and possible mechanisms of action. Mice were divided into 7 groups and treated as follows: normal group or kainate group received po distilled water (10 mL/kg), four test groups received Syzygium cumini (28.8, 72, 144, and 288mg/kg, po), and the positive control group treated intraperitoneally (ip) with sodium valproate (300mg/kg). An extra group of normal mice was treated with piracetam (200mg/kg, po). Treatments were administered 60min before the induction of status epilepticus with kainate (15mg/kg, ip), and continued daily throughout behavioral testing. Twenty-four hours after the induction, T-maze and Morris water maze tasks were successively performed. The animals were then sacrificed and some markers of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation were estimated in the hippocampus. The extract significantly prevented status epilepticus and mortality. In the T-maze, the aqueous extract markedly increased the time spent and the number of entries in the discriminated arm. In the Morris water maze, the extract significantly increased the time spent in the target quadrant during the retention phase. Furthermore, the aqueous extract induced a significant reduction of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. These results suggest that the aqueous extract of Syzygium cumini has antiepileptic- and anti-amnesic-like effects, likely mediated in part by antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

Teori Pemodelan Bandura

The purpose of this research is to observe, Albert Bandura's social learning theory modeling, and the implementation of Albert Bandura's modeling of social learning model in learning. Albert Bandura's form of social learning is that individuals process their own knowledge or information obtained from observing models around the environment. Individuals organize and organize all information in certain codes. The process of compiling each code is repeated, so that individuals can provide actual responses at any time. The learning process by applying social learning methods is not a new approach to the teaching and learning process, but is already known and popular, it's just that it is often forgotten. What is meant by applying social learning methods in the learning process is learning by utilizing the social environment as learning targets, learning resources, and learning tools. On the basis of these assumptions, Albert Bandura's learning theory is called social cognitive because cognitive processes in individuals play a role in learning, while learning occurs because of the influence of the social environment. The process of stages in cognitive social learning includes: the attentional phase, the retention phase, the reproduction phase and the motivation phase

S2k-Guideline Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip in the Neonate.

Hip developmental disorders are the most common musculoskeletal disease in newborns in Central Europe. The definition of hip developmental disorder includes both dysplastic and dislocated joints. In a dysplastic joint, shearing forces induce a growing disorder in the acetabulum. If this growing disorder persists, the femoral head first displaces the acetabular cartilage cranially and finally the femoral head dislocates posteriorly into the gluteal fossa - progressively losing contact to the acetabulum. Therefore nowadays there is general support for the concept of a developmental instead of a congenital dislocation of the hip. From the first day of life, the different stages of hip developmental disorder be exactly classified by an ultrasound examination of the infant hip joint according to Graf. Therefore the Graf hip ultrasound examination has been an integral part of the paediatric guidelines in Germany since 1996. All newborns must receive Graf hip ultrasound screening examination, ideally at the age of 4-5 (maximal 8) weeks as part of the U3 screening examination. Newborns with historical or clinical risk factors must receive an ultrasound examination in the first week of life, additionally to the clinical examination of the hip joints of all newborns according to the second screening examination U2. In the case of pathological results, therapy should be initiated according to measured hip type within one week. Dislocated joints need reduction and as soon as the contact between the femoral head and the acetabulum has been restored, the head should be retained securely within the acetabulum. This phase of retention is followed by the maturation phase for dislocated joints, which is also sufficient therapy for dysplastic joints. In order to avoid femoral head necrosis as an early complication or as a new hip developmental disorder in the course of further growth, the femoral head during the retention phase and the maturation phase should be placed deeply into the socket. This can be achieved by retaining hip flexion of 100-110° with simultaneous hip abduction of 50° to a maximum of 60°.

Behavioral and neurophysiological aspects of working memory impairment in children with dyslexia

The present study aimed to identify behavioral and neurophysiological correlates of dyslexia which could potentially predict reading difficulty. One hundred and three Chinese children with and without dyslexia (Grade 2 or 3, 7- to 11-year-old) completed both verbal and visual working memory (n-back) tasks with concurrent EEG recording. Data of 74 children with sufficient usable EEG data are reported here. Overall, the typically developing control group (N = 28) responded significantly faster and more accurately than the group with dyslexia (N = 46), in both types of tasks. Group differences were also found in EEG band power in the retention phase of the tasks. Moreover, forward stepwise logistic regression demonstrated that both behavioral and neurophysiological measures predicted reading difficulty uniquely. Dyslexia was associated with higher frontal midline theta activity and reduced upper-alpha power in the posterior region. This finding is discussed in relation to the neural efficiency hypothesis. Whether these behavioral and neurophysiological patterns can longitudinally predict later reading development among preliterate children requires further investigation.

Regulation of Acid-Base Balance in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease.

Normallly the kidneys handle the daily acid load arising from net endogenous acid production from the metabolism of ingested animal protein (acid) and vegetables (base). With chronic kidney disease, reduced acid excretion by the kidneys is primarily due to reduced ammonium excretion such that when acid excertion falls below acid porduction, acid accumulation occurs. With even mild reductions in glomerular filtration rate (60 to 90 ml/min), net acid excretion may fall below net acid production resulting in acid retention which may be initially sequestered in interstitial compartments in the kidneys, bones, and muscles resulting in no fall in measured systemic bicarbonate levels (eubicarbonatemic metabolic acidosis). With greater reductions in kidney function, the greater quantities of acid retained spillover systemically resulting in low pH (overt metabolic acidosis). The evaluation of acid-base balance in patients with CKD is complicated by the heterogeneity of clinical acid-base disorders and by the eubicarbonatemic nature of the early phase of acid retention. If supported by more extensive studies, blood gas analyses to confirm the acid-base disorder and newer ways for assessing the presence of acidosis such as urinary citrate measurements may become routine tools to evaluate and treat acid-base disorders in individuals with CKD.

Retention protocol following post-orthodontic treatment in cleft palate patients – A review

To evaluate and compare the available literature on efficiency of different retention appliances in maintaining the results achieved after orthodontic treatment in cleft palate patients. On comparing the literature available on different retention appliances currently available, it was found that the cast metal retainers offered a more stable and rigid design to maintain the post treatment arch width and also provided the aesthetic replacement of the missing teeth in the cleft region by incorporating a pontic. The cleft lip and palate patients should be informed and motivated for a long term or indefinite retention phase irrespective of the type of retention appliance used. Presently, very few studies are available comparing the effectiveness of different retention protocols in cleft lip and palate patients. Hence, there is need to conduct evidence based high quality longitudinal studies to compare the effectiveness of different retention appliances.

Children’s Motor Learning and Working Memory: The Role of Visual and Verbal Analogy Learning

Abstract Introduction. Physical education teachers and coaches often face the problem of how to convey information to novice learners, particularly to children. The present study aims to examine how visual and verbal analogy learning affects basketball free-throw learning as well as working memory in 9- to 12-year-old children. Material and Methods. Forty-eight children (24 males, mean age: 10.5 ± 1.8 years) were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to four groups, namely visual analogy, verbal analogy, explicit, and control groups. The task involved throwing a basketball from a distance of 3.05 meters. The participants completed 15 trials in the pretest, posttest, and retention phases and 720 trials in the acquisition phase. Results. The result of the paired sample t-test indicated that the visual analogy, verbal analogy, and explicit learning groups experienced a significant improvement in their performance through the skill acquisition phase as well as an improvement in their working memories (p ≤ 0.05), while the control group did not exhibit such improvements (p = 0.91). In addition, one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that the analogy learning group outperformed other groups in both post-test and retention tests as well as in terms of motor learning and working memory (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions. The verbal analogy and the explicit learning groups were equally better than the control group. The findings of this study suggest that coaches in instructional environments should make further use of the advantages of visual analogy learning for children.

Esthetic rehabilitation of anterior teeth with “copy-paste” concept: a case report

The aim of this fully digital workflow was to create harmonic smile correction with esthetic veneers applying orthodontic treatment and the “copy-paste” concept. A 29-years-old male patient presented with the main complaints of the teeth angulation and color discrepancies. Our treatment plan was four IPS e.max CAD MT lithium-disilicate ceramic veneers (12,11,21,22). The initial situation was scanned with 3Shape Trios 3 wireless Pod. The next step was the orthodontic treatment planned with Clear Aligner Studio (3Shape). The 2D smile design was planned with TRIOS Smile Design (3shape) after the orthodontic retention phase. The 3D design was made with 3Shape RealView Engine. Digital wax-up was printed with NextDent 5100 and transferred into the patient mouth without preparation. After 24 hours, the patient came back to the dental office where some esthetic corrections were made. This situation was scanned as a pre-preparation scan. Minimal invasive preparation was made through the mock-up, and the precision situational impression was taken digitally with Trios 3. Based on the pre-preparation scan the veneers were planned with TRIOS Design Studio (3shape). The delivery was made in absolute isolation, cemented with Maxcem Elite Clear (Kerr). The aesthetic outcome of the lithium-disilicate veneers was natural-looking and conservative while providing high optical properties. Digital workflow could provide a more predictable outcome compared with the analog way. The dentist can present the expected result for the patient before the preparation phase. With digital workflow, we can achieve the concept of “copy-paste” dentistry by transferring the digital wax-up to the final restoration entirely.

Temporal and Region‐Specific Tau Protein Hyper‐Phosphorylation in the Brain Coincides with the Development of Impaired Baroreflex Control of Arterial Pressure and Spatial Learning in Male Obese Zucker Rats

Obesity and other traits of metabolic syndrome (MetS) are recognized risk factors for the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and related dementias. Emerging evidence indicates pathophysiologies common to MetS and AD, such as obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, and impaired glycemic control, occur with development of tauopathies and cognitive decline. Male obese Zucker rats (OZRs), a hyperphagic genetic model of MetS, develop these deleterious traits with predictable ages of onset and time courses. Juvenile OZRs display prominently elevated triglycerides and insulin compared to age‐matched lean Zucker rats (LZRs). By 12‐14 weeks of age although fasting glucose is still comparable in OZRs and LZRs, with access to food the OZRs exhibit chronic, marked hyperglycemia. At this age male OZRs also become hypertensive with impaired short‐term control of arterial pressure by baroreflexes, which are improved by treatments that normalize blood glucose. We hypothesized that young adult male OZRs would develop age‐dependent expression of markers of neurodegeneration in medulla and hippocampus coincident with deficits in functions related to these brain regions. Cohorts of age‐matched male OZRs and LZRs underwent cognitive testing using the Morris water maze (MWM). At 18‐19 weeks, the escape latencies and path lengths were comparable in male OZRs and LZRs (n=12/group). In contrast, at 28 weeks of age, OZRs (n=16) exhibited a greater than 2‐fold higher escape latency and significantly longer path lengths (p&lt;0.05) in the acquisition and retention phases of the MWM compared to age‐matched LZRs (n=15), suggesting the emergence of impaired spatial learning ability in the OZRs. The 18‐19‐week‐old male OZRs exhibited tau hyper‐phosphorylation (S396 and S199,and S202) in the medulla, but the expressions of these markers in the hippocampus were comparable in OZRs and LZRs (n=6/group) at this age. In contrast, 27‐28‐week‐old OZRs (n=6) exhibited tau hyperphosphorylation at S396in hippocampus as well as medulla compared to LZRs (n=6). Our data suggest that changes in tau phosphorylation in male OZRs occur in a temporal and spatial manner coincident with changes in brain function in these regions. In male OZRs, earlier manifestation in the medulla occurred with impaired short‐term regulation of arterial pressure by the medulla. Later manifestation of tau hyperphosphorylation in hippocampus coincided with deficits in spatial learning. Understanding mechanisms by which these histological, physiological, and behavioral changes occur in male OZRs may provide important insights into connections between the development of MetS and AD‐related dementias in humans to yield improved early‐stage interventions.

Ameliorative effect of ethanol extract of Eragrostis tremula Hochst. ex Steud. against diazepam-induced amnesia in mice

BackgroundEragrostis tremula Hochst. ex Steud. (Poaceae) is used in ethno-medicine as a memory enhancer. Studies have shown that the whole plant possesses memory enhancing potentials and could be beneficial in the management of amnesia and cognitive deficit.AimThis study was aimed at investigating the actions of E. tremula extract on diazepam-induced amnesia in mice. Acute toxicity profiling was done as stated by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD 425). Oral doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg of E. tremula extract were used for the diazepam-induced amnesia studies. Cognitive function was evaluated using elevated plus maze (EPM) and novel object recognition tests (NORT). The brain tissues were evaluated for the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.ResultsThe oral median toxic dose of E. tremula extract was assessed to be > 5000 mg/kg in mice. The extract substantially (p < 0.05) reduced the transfer latency of mice during the retention phase of EPM test. In the NORT, E. tremula extract at all the doses appreciably (p < 0.05) reduced the exploration time on the familiar object. Also, it substantially (p < 0.05) improved the recognition index. E. tremula extract substantially (p < 0.05) reduced the MDA levels, and at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg, it prevented the cortical and hippocampal tissues from lesions produced by diazepam.ConclusionsEragrostis tremula extract is practically safe after acute administration and possesses anti-amnesic actions.

Remote digital monitoring during the retention phase of orthodontic treatment: A prospective feasibility study.

ObjectiveTo evaluate if a remote digital monitoring system added at the end of orthodontic treatment could positively influence the retention phase by reducing the occurrence of misfit of removable appliances, number of emergency appointments (EA), and orthodontic relapse.MethodsTwenty-seven patients who completed active orthodontic treatment were divided into the study and control groups. In addition to the standard chairside follow-up appointments at month 1 (T1), month 3 (T2), month 6 (T3), the study group patients were monitored using Dental Monitoring® with monthly intra-oral scans. Occurrence of misfit of removable retainers, number of EAs, and intercanine width change were recorded for both groups. Differences in EAs and retainer fit were assessed using the chi-square test. Intra-group and inter-group differences in the intercanine width were assessed with Friedman test and Mann–Whitney U test, respectively (α = 0.05).ResultsThe study group showed a significantly lower occurrence of misfit of removable retainers (p = 0.027) compared to the control group. No significant inter- and intra-group difference was found in the EAs and intercanine width change at each time-point.ConclusionsIntegrating remote monitoring systems, such as Dental Monitoring®, to the retention phase of the orthodontic treatment may lower the occurrence of misfit of removable retainers. However, a small sample size and a short observation period limit the strength of this evidence. These preliminary results tentatively suggest that remote monitoring technologies may be beneficial, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the regularity of in-office visits might be disrupted.

Colour assessment of bleaching effect on orthodontically treated teeth.

To assess whether the efficacy of external tooth bleaching differs between untreated and orthodontically treated teeth. Three groups of subjects were formed; group Debonded included 24 consecutive orthodontically treated patients evaluated immediately after removal of fixed appliances. The Retention group included 24 consecutive orthodontically treated patients in the phase of retention. The Untreated group consisted of 24 arbitrarily selected undergraduate dental students without history of fixed-appliances orthodontic therapy. Each of the above three groups was further randomized into two subgroups, Bleaching and Placebo. Each subgroup received either a 38% hydrogen peroxide bleaching treatment or a placebo agent, respectively. Tooth colour changes were assessed at seven timepoints: 1 day before intervention; on the day of intervention before and after treatment; and at 7, 14, 21, and 90 days for parameters L*, a*, b*, and ΔΕ in all upper incisors and canines with the use of a reflectance spectrophotometer. Intra-rater agreement was estimated with the Intra-class Correlation Coefficient and method's error was calculated using the Repeatability Coefficient. Regarding tooth colour changes, an analysis of variance was used to assess differences between groups. Bleaching was associated with an increase of the L* value and decrease of b* and a* values in both orthodontically treated and untreated teeth. Parameters ΔE, L*, and b* exhibited statistically significant differences between the Bleaching-Untreated and Bleaching-Retention subgroups. In the Bleaching subgroups, statistically significant differences were found between different teeth for all parameters. Previous exposure to fixed orthodontic appliance influenced the efficacy of external tooth bleaching. The effect of bleaching was higher after orthodontic treatment and with longer period in retention. Canines changed in colour more than incisors, and the effect was reduced over time.

Metal versus Fiberglass Post-Orthodontic Retainers Short-Term Effects on Plaque Index and Microbial Colonization: An Observational Study.

In orthodontics, post-treatment retention phase is crucial for maintaining the obtained clinical results. In cases of crowding, a bonded fixed retainer is often chosen to maintain teeth alignment in the anterior sector of the lower dental arch. A fixed retainer can remain in the mouth for years. Therefore, it is important that it is applied with harmless materials for the level of plaque control. The present study aimed to investigate the salivary concentrations of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Lactobacilli, and the Sillness and Loe plaque index, in patients wearing metal wire versus fiberglass orthodontic retainers. Forty post-orthodontic patients were included in the sample: in 20 subjects a metal wire retainer was applied (MR), while in the others a fiberglass retainer was applied (FR). The variables were recorded at baseline (T0), after 1 month (T1), and after 2 months (T2) of follow-up. The percentage of patients with a level of S. mutans and Lactobacilli colonization > 105 increased over time in the FR group (T0 = 0%, T1 = 5%, T2 = 35%), compared with the MR group. PI increased in the FR group (T0 = 0, T1 = 14, T2 = 27), and remained almost the same in the MR group (T0 = 3, T1 = 0, T2 = 2). From the present results it appears that the metal wire retainer is better than the fiberglass retainer for the level of plaque control performed by the patients.

Comparison of settling of occlusion in modified and full coverage thermoplastic retainers using T-scan

Objectives: The main intent of the study was to evaluate and compare the occlusal bite forces after settling between conventional and modified thermoplastic retainer groups using T-Scan. Material and Methods: This study comprised a total of 20 patients, who approached the retention phase after completion of fixed orthodontic therapy. After debonding (T0), occlusal analysis using the T-Scan system was done at centric occlusion. Group I (control) – 10 patients received the conventional thermoplastic retainer and Group II (experimental) – 10 patients received the modified thermoplastic retainer. Patients were instructed to wear the retainer continuously for 6 months except while eating and brushing. T-scan analysis after 6 months (T6) was done to evaluate the changes in occlusal bite forces. The obtained data were evaluated using STATA/IC software version 16.1 at a predetermined probability value of 0.05 which was considered significant. Results: The result obtained from this study was suggestive of significant improvement in bite force levels at centric occlusion in the modified thermoplastic group compared with the conventional group. Comparing the right (P &lt; 0.17) and left (P &lt; 0.01) posterior region, there was significant increase on the left side. A significant increase at maximum centric occlusion (P &lt; 0.01) was seen in the region of the first molars. The anterior region did not show any improvement (P &lt; 0.62) after 6 months of retention. Conclusion: Partial coverage of thermoplastic retainer significantly improves the occlusal contacts and force levels. The maximum change was seen in the posterior region and the minimum change in the anterior region at centric occlusion.

ORTHODONTIC RETENTION- A REVIEW.

After the teeth have been corrected orthodontically and malocclusion has been relieved the job of orthodontist is not over. The active phase of treatment is to be followed up with a passive phase in which corrected positions of teeth needs to be maintained after treatment and is often the most challenging part of an orthodontic treatment plan. Hence, a phase of retention is normally required after orthodontic tooth movement which may be in the form of removable or fixed retainer wear. In this review article, we have discussed about the importance of retention protocols and patient education regarding the same to ensure that the patient is in the know how of the care that is expected from him at the end of the active orthodontic phase.