Appliance System Research Articles

Do you do Damon®? What is the current evidence base underlying the philosophy of this appliance system?

Self-ligating bracket systems are increasing in popularity amongst orthodontists. This reflects their high quality engineering, improved reliability and relative ease of use. However, it might also be related to claims of superior function made by the manufacturers of these appliances. In particular, the Damon(®) appliance system claims to offer significant advantages to both orthodontist and patient over conventional-ligation and other forms of self-ligated appliances. We have reviewed current literature relating to use of the Damon(®) appliance system. There is some evidence to suggest this appliance may lead to reductions in chairside time for the orthodontist, particularly those experienced with this system, in comparison to conventional-ligation. However, evidence that pain experience is reduced for the patient when using Damon(®) brackets is not conclusive. In the presence of identical archwire sequences, there is no evidence that Damon(®) brackets can align teeth faster or in a qualitatively differently manner, when compared with conventional-ligation. There is no high quality evidence that treatment with the Damon(®) appliance takes place more rapidly or leads to a superior occlusal or aesthetic result. Indeed, the best available evidence would suggest there is no difference in treatment outcome or time, at least in extraction cases. There is no evidence that treatment with the Damon(®) appliance is more stable. Claims relating to improved clinical performance of the Damon(®) appliance system are currently being made to orthodontists and patients that are not substantiated in the scientific literature.

Comparative assessment of conventional and self-ligating appliances on the effect of mandibular intermolar distance in adolescent nonextraction patients: A single-center randomized controlled trial

Our aim in this study was to compare intermolar widths after alignment of crowded mandibular dental arches in nonextraction adolescent patients between conventional and self-ligating brackets. Fifty patients were included in this randomized controlled trial according to the following inclusion criteria: nonextraction treatment in both arches, eruption of all mandibular teeth, no spaces in the mandibular arch, mandibular irregularity index from canine to canine greater than 2 mm, and no therapeutic intervention planned involving intermaxillary or other intraoral or extraoral appliances including elastics before the end of the observation period. The patients were randomized into 2 groups: the first received a conventional appliance, and the other a passive self-ligating appliance, both with a 0.022-in slot. The amount of crowding of the mandibular dentition at baseline was assessed by using the irregularity index. Intermolar width was investigated with statistical methods of linear regression analysis. On an exploratory basis, the effect of appliance type on intercanine width was also assessed. Additionally, the effects of appliance type on time to alignment and crowding on time to alignment were assessed by using the Cox proportional hazards model. No evidence of difference in intermolar width was found between the 2 bracket systems (β= 0.30; 95% CI, -0.3 to 0.9; P= 0.30). No evidence of difference in intercanine width was observed between the 2 bracket systems (β= 0.33; 95% CI, -0.8 to 0.1; P= 0.15). Thetime to reach alignment did not differ between appliance systems (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.4 to 1.2; P= 0.21), whereas the amount of crowding was a significant predictor of the required time to reach alignment (hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.8 to 0.9; P= 0.02). The use of conventional or self-ligating brackets does not seem to be an important predictor of mandibular intermolar width in nonextractions patients when the same wire sequence is used.

Energy Efficiency Regulation and R&D Activity:A Study of the Top Runner Program in Japan

The Top Runner Program, a new approach to enhancing the energy efficiency of appliances and vehicles, has been in-troduced in Japan. In this paper an empirical analysis of the impact of the program and the labeling systems on firms’ R&D efforts is carried out. The results show that the Top Runner Program and the labeling system for appliances led to increases in R&D expenditures by appliance producers. The program combined with the labeling system caused a 9.5% increase in appliance producers’ R&D expenditures. However, the Top Runner Program and the labeling system for motor vehicles had little or even a negative effect on the innovative activity of motor vehicle manufacturers. R&D ex-penditures by motor vehicle producers may have increased in response to the exhaust gas regulation for diesel-powered vehicles rather than the energy efficiency regulation.

Management of Severe Class II Malocclusion with Fixed Functional Appliance: Forsus

Management of class II malocclusion in adolescent patients by growth modulation is one of the most debated topics in orthodontics. Noncompliance has been a major concern for orthodontists. This case report describes the management of severe class II malocclusion in adolescent patient using functional appliance system-Forsus to correct class II problems, which is clipped on to bands. This appliance has several advantages, as the patient cannot remove it. It acts on the teeth and jaws for 24 hours each day, patient cooperation is not a problem, and as a result the treatment time is short. There is lot of controversy about the use of functional appliances. This case report illustrates that even today, functional appliances have a significant role in the management of class II malocclusion by using growth modulation. The growth modulation minimizes the necessity of extraction of permanent teeth and probably orthognathic surgery. Functional appliances have a significant role in the management of class II malocclusion. The growth modulation minimizes the necessity of extraction of permanent teeth and probably orthognathic surgery.

レアメタルリサイクルを目的とした小型家電の回収方法に関する考察 名古屋市・津島市の事例を基に

レアメタルリサイクルを目的とした小型家電の回収方法に関する考察 名古屋市・津島市の事例を基に

A methodology to optimize the recycling process of WEEE: case of television sets and monitors

This work presents a new methodology for the selection and design of operations of a recycling system for electronic appliances, mainly television sets and monitors. The European Directive for “Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment” (WEEE) tries to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills which is one of the aims of the proposed system. In addition, a better use of the obtained materials is expected, making the process more profitable for small or medium enterprises. An example of its applicability, focused on the separation of the different materials of TV and monitors, is proposed. A specific treatment for different types of glass of cathode ray tubes is envisaged, due to its difficult reuse. Technical issues concerning the degree of the automation which could be applied to a recycling cell is studied, from the theoretical full automation of all the disassembling tasks, to a manual dismantling of components. This knowledge is used by the proposed methodology, which makes use of a decision support system for optimization purposes. Inputs for this system are the previous expertise of recycling companies, applicable regulations concerning WEEE, economic aspects like materials pricing, treatments costs, etc. A simulation software has been used to analyze the virtual prototype of the proposed solution. Finally, an economical assessment of the recycling process shows the feasibility of the methodology, which is complemented with a potential use of the obtained glass in a secondary market related to the construction sector.

Orthodontic postgraduate education, continuing education and industry marketing

The objective of orthodontic postgraduate education is to produce graduates who (1) complete their didactic and clinical education under the auspices of an advanced education institution, (2) are provided with a broad-based higher level education in orthodontics and biomedical sciences, (3) obtain a solid background in diagnosis and treatment modalities, and (4) become specialists in this discipline. At present, formal postgraduate orthodontic programmes around the world usually have durations that range from 24 to 48 months, with the majority of them being 36-month full-time courses. Nowadays residents are required to attend an adequate number of supervised clinical sessions, in order to establish proficiency in clinical orthodontics. In addition, approximately 25– 30% of the coursework is dedicated to research and various administrative tasks (treatment planning, preparation of tutorials, case presentations). The number of new patients assigned to each resident may vary between schools, but it is usually not less than 30 and an equal number of transferred cases are also included during the course of the study. The programmes expose the residents to a variety of contemporary treatment modalities and appliances, whilst written and/or oral evaluations are conducted to assess the students’ performance. Most of the programmes require the submission of a dissertation or thesis in the form of a typical Master’s document, which reports original data derived from research activities in various fields, and/or preparation of a paper in a publishable format. Taking into consideration the limited number of places available for orthodontic postgraduate education and the disproportionally high number of qualified applicants, it is natural that postgraduate programmes accept as residents those with extremely good qualifications and outstanding academic records. As a result, postgraduate orthodontic classes consist of very competitive, strongly motivated, and sharp-minded students, who welcome the opportunity to study orthodontics, do research that is usually published in refereed scientific journals, and are greatly appreciative of their clinical training in this unique specialty. Critical thinking is an important part of their daily educational routine. Following graduation, the specialist orthodontists must continue their education and update their existing scientific knowledge through reading journals and attending refresher courses, as well as acquiring further clinical experience. Material is easily accessible, and may be provided at home or abroad. The orthodontic specialist may choose to attend courses, lectures or seminars from a variety of available types, in order to satisfy his or her theoretical, clinical and technical needs and priorities. Previously only scientific societies, professional groups and higher education institutions provided continuing orthodontic education. Nowadays the orthodontic industry, indirectly or directly, heavily involves itself in these activities. The goal is obvious, namely marketing of the products. Marketing is defined as ‘the theory and practice of (large-scale) selling’ or ‘the various activities by which goods are supplied, advertised, and sold’. ‘Theory’ and ‘advertisement’ are the two essential components of marketing, which are also an integral part of the continuing education activities provided by industry. Although marketing is useful for informing consumers of existing products and innovations, it is also highly biased and clearly involves conflicts of interests. In addition to the practical advantage, utility and application of a product, it must also look exclusive, modern and special in order to be attractive. In this way the customer will feel that he or she belongs to a special VIP group. It is no surprise, therefore, that in our specialty the most aggressive and effective marketing of orthodontic techniques, materials and appliances is promoted as ‘a total treatment philosophy and appliance system’ so that the clinician must completely integrate the whole ‘package’ of products into their clinical practice. At present, the continuing education activities concerning orthodontic clinical techniques and appliances directly organized or indirectly sponsored by the J o u rn a l o f O rt h o d o n ti c s jo r3 7 .3 _ E d it o ri a l. 3 d 1 3 /7 /1 0 2 2 :4 1 :3 6

Safety Control System for the Electrical Appliances

Safety Control System for the Electrical Appliances

Self-Ligating Brackets in Orthodontics

To evaluate the clinical differences in relation to the use of self-ligating brackets in orthodontics. Electronic databases were searched; no restrictions relating to publication status or language of publication were applied. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) investigating the influence of bracket type on alignment efficiency, subjective pain experience, bond failure rate, arch dimensional changes, rate of orthodontic space closure, periodontal outcomes, and root resorption were selected. Both authors were involved in study selection, validity assessment, and data extraction. Disagreements were resolved by discussion. Six RCTs and 11 CCTs were identified. Meta-analysis of the influence of bracket type on subjective pain experience failed to demonstrate a significant advantage for either type of appliance. Statistical analysis of other outcomes was unfeasible because of inadequate methodological design and heterogenous designs. At this stage there is insufficient high-quality evidence to support the use of self-ligating fixed orthodontic appliances over conventional appliance systems or vice versa.

A comparison of dental changes produced by mandibular advancement splints in the management of obstructive sleep apnoea

Abstract Background Mandibular advancement splints (MAS) are a recognised and popular treatment option for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) due to their simplicity, tolerance and non-invasiveness. Objectives To investigate and compare the dental changes associated with the use of monoblock and duoblock appliances. Methods Fifty-two pretreatment and follow-up study models of patients from a public hospital and private dental clinic were assessed. Seventeen subjects used a soft elastomeric monoblock appliance (MB), 29 subjects used a hard acrylic duoblock (DB) and six subjects wore a monoblock followed by a duoblock appliance (MB-DB). Measurements of dental and arch changes were obtained and analysed on study models and standardised bitewing radiographs. Results A statistically significant reduction was observed in the maxillary intercanine distance in all splint categories, with DB users showing the greatest decrease (p < 0.05). The change in the mandibular intercanine distances differed according to splint categories (p < 0.05). MB and MB-DB patients demonstrated a decrease in this measurement variable, whereas an increase was seen in DB users. A statistically significant increase in the mandibular intermolar distance was also observed in all splint categories (p < 0.05), with DB users showing the greatest increase. Conclusions Both MB and DB appliance systems produced similar, but mild dental effects. No particular appliance can be recommended and the choice of appliance should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

3C intelligent home appliance control system – Example with refrigerator

This study is a creative and initial work focused on designing an intelligently automatic detecting and sensor system for home appliances being smartly interactive with mankind with speech in the living space. Since the tide of automation flowed over the industry, manufacturing business, even the living space of mankind resulting from shifting and highly developing of computer technique such as office-automation (OA), home-automation (HA), and Manufacture-automation (MA) etc. Though automation spread throughout the manufacturing in last decade, there seemed no such equal attention with home appliance. In this paper, the automation developed into the place where we spend most of our time becomes a brand-new thinking. There are so many home appliances in our living space, and how to make them intelligent so as to let our life more safety, convenient, and comfortable will be a challenge to our knowledge. In this study, some technique and skills especially related 3C (computer, communication, content) were developed to make our home appliances intelligent such as radio remote control, sensors invented by researchers, auto-dialing system, and image analysis with CCD (charged-coupled device) image-fetched. Through linking the sub-systems’ function, the main function of the home appliance worked smartly – in this case, we use a refrigerator as the center of all home appliances in a family, the refrigerator could sense the lack of the food, drinks, even irregular shape fruits through all designed sensors and CCD images analysis system, and it also could auto-dial the vendors to deliver the thing those were sensed insufficient. In addition to detect capability, the refrigerator could assign works to other appliance through inter-net or wireless radio remote control system, for example, supposing that we forgot to turn off the gas oven after we had reached far away our home, we could dial cell phone or phone into the refrigerator to generate command code to turn off the fire through remote control module set up both on refrigerator and oven. This design can insure our life saved and convenience.

Prospective randomized clinical trial to compare pain levels associated with 2 orthodontic fixed bracket systems

In this randomized clinical trial, we compared pain levels associated with 2 fixed appliance systems during initial orthodontic tooth movement. Sixty-six patients (36 female, 30 male) were randomly allocated to either a conventional twin bracket (Tru Straight, Ormco Europe, Amersfoort, The Netherlands) or a self-ligating bracket (Damon 3, Ormco). Both arches were bonded, and a 0.014-in superelastic copper-nickel-titanium archwire was ligated in position. Pain intensity levels were recorded twice a day, over 7 days, by using 10-cm visual analog scales. Patients also recorded whether analgesia was taken. Contact point displacements were measured on study models to calculate Little's irregularity index. Fifty-two patients (78.8%) completed the trial (84.8% in the Tru Straight group and 72.7% in the Damon 3 group). Patients in the Damon 3 group reported lower mean maximum pain intensity (P = 0.053) and significantly lower mean pain intensity (P = 0.012) than did the Tru Straight patients. Patients who consumed analgesics reported significantly higher mean maximum pain intensity and mean pain intensity than those who did not take analgesia (P <0.001). The Damon 3 patients generally reported lower pain intensity than the Tru Straight patients. Although there were wide interindividual variations, in this study, the Damon 3 appliance resulted in lower pain intensity, on average, when compared with the Tru Straight appliance.

Anchorage control in bioprogressive vs straight-wire treatment.

Orthodontic techniques with different concepts and philosophies have emerged to provide adequate anchorage control. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the Bioprogressive and Straight-wire techniques in the control of lower anchorage. Data were obtained from the records of 40 patients presenting Class I and II malocclusions treated with first bicuspid extractions. One group of 20 patients was treated with a utility arch used to set up cortical anchorage in the lower arch and sectional retraction mechanics for space closure. The second group was treated with straight wire with a preadjusted appliance system. Treatment evaluation revealed no significant between-group differences in the amount of skeletal growth relative to cranial base and lower mesial movement of first molars. Mean lower anchorage loss was 3.1 mm in the Bioprogressive patients and four mm in the Straight-wire patients. The apical base change was the most important component to molar correction. Although cortical anchorage did not impede lower molar movement, it was no less effective in controlling molar movement with a partial appliance than was the fully banded Straight-wire appliance.

Temporary anchorage devices in orthodontics

Anchorage control is one of the main aspects of orthodontic treatment plan. A good appliance system should put minimum taxation of anchorage on the anchor units. The structures present with in the confinement of oral cavity are very less in number. In such cases the anchor unit gets its reinforcement from extraoral structures or intraoral appliances. Extraoral anchorages have their inherent drawbacks and most of them rely on patient cooperation. The use of implants in orthodontics to reinforce the anchorage is a recent concept. The purpose of this article is to review the implants in the context of orthodontics which are called as TAD- temporary anchorage devices.

A practical approach to the cogeneration system for rural appliances

A practical approach to the cogeneration system for rural appliances

Agent-Component Design of Smart Appliances

The key objective of the research, presented in this paper, is one of the integral parts of the intelligent home – smart domestic appliances. The principal aim is to propose a method for designing smart mechatronic appliances. Such systems assist the user and augment the quality of living through the integration of services and technology. An agent-component based approach is used to design a generic agent model, which serves as a common infrastructure for constructing smart appliance systems. Finally, an intelligent refrigerator is presented as a perspective of the proposed method application.

Pain Experience during Initial Alignment with a Self-Ligating and a Conventional Fixed Orthodontic Appliance System

To test the hypotheses that (1) there is no difference in the pain experience during the week following initial placement of two orthodontic appliances (SmartClip and Victory; 3M Unitek, Monrovia, Calif); and (2) there is no difference in the pain experience during removal and insertion of orthodontic archwires with these brackets. Sixty-six consecutive patients were treated with a self-ligating bracket system (SmartClip) or a conventional appliance (Victory) on the basis of computer-generated random allocation. After appliance placement and engagement of a 0.016'' nickel-titanium archwire, pain experience was recorded after 4, 24, and 72 hours and after 7 days with the use of a visual analog system (VAS) questionnaire. At a subsequent visit, participants documented pain experiences during removal and insertion of 0.019 x 0.025'' archwires on an additional 100 mm VAS questionnaire. Independent t-tests and analyses of covariance were used to analyze normally distributed data; the Mann-Whitney U-test was used for skewed distributions. Forty-eight (72.2%) and fifty-one (77.3%) subjects completed the first and second parts of the study, respectively. Bracket type had no influence on pain experience at 4 hours (P = .958), 24 hours (P = .289), 72 hours (P = .569), and 7 days (P = .756) following appliance placement. However, bracket type significantly influenced pain experience during archwire removal (P = .001) and insertion (P = .013). Hypothesis 1 cannot be rejected. The bracket type had no effect on subjective pain experience during the first week after initial placement of two preadjusted orthodontic appliances. Hypothesis 2 was rejected. Significantly greater discomfort was experienced during archwire insertion and removal with the SmartClip appliance.

External apical root resorption in patients treated with conventional and self-ligating brackets

Our aim was to comparatively investigate the amount of external apical root resorption (EARR) between conventional and passive self-ligating brackets. Ninety-six patients were selected from a pool of patients satisfying the following inclusion criteria: no evidence of resorption on the pretreatment panoramic radiographs; no contributing history of trauma; no dilacerations of lateral incisor roots, maxillary anodontia, and impacted canines; complete root formation at the start of treatment; intact and caries-free maxillary incisors; and no endodontically treated incisors. Patients received treatment with either a passive self-ligating bracket system or a conventional edgewise appliance, both with a 0.022-in slot. EARR of the maxillary incisors was evaluated on panoramic radiographs, taken before and after orthodontic treatment measured in millimeters. Distortion of measurements caused by panoramic radiographs was investigated by using a calibrated periodontal probe attached to the lateral incisor, and the extent of magnification was estimated to be 14%. Statistical comparisons of EARR between appliance type, age, sex, extraction treatment, and duration of treatment were investigated with univariate and multivariate regression modeling. Overall, no difference was found in the amount of EARR between appliance systems. Age, sex, and extraction treatment were not reliable predictors of EARR, but a positive association between EARR and duration of treatment was observed. No difference should be expected for root resorption between conventional and passive self-ligating brackets.

Incisor Root Resorption Due to Ectopic Maxillary Canines

To document the long-term fate of maxillary incisors with resorbed roots after correction of the associated ectopic canines. The subjects were recruited from 107 children and adolescents age 9-15 years (mean 12.5 years) at initial registration, with 156 ectopically positioned maxillary canines. The children were referred to the specialist orthodontic clinic for consultation because of the risk of incisor root resorption. Of 51 patients contacted, 16 failed to attend. Eight of the remaining 35 were excluded because their lateral incisors had been extracted, leaving 27 subjects for follow-up registration. At initial consultation, all subjects had undergone radiographic examination, including computed tomography (CT) scans. At the follow-up consultation, the radiographic examination was limited to intraoral films. No resorbed incisor was lost during the 2- to 10-year follow-up period. The resorptive lesions had undergone repair in 13 teeth, remained unchanged in 12 teeth and progressed in 7 teeth. In the 13 teeth exhibiting signs of repair, no resorption was detectable in 11 teeth and minor resorption was detected in 2 lateral incisors. At the initial registration, severe or moderate resorption had been diagnosed in 12 lateral and 5 central incisors, compared with 11 lateral and 6 central incisors at follow-up. In 10 subjects initially diagnosed with resorption of 13 incisors, the lesions were no longer discernible on intraoral radiographs at follow-up. Even in cases of severe resorption, the incisor roots show good long-term healing. Incisors with root resorption can be used in an orthodontic appliance system.

Comparative evaluation of micro-implant and headgear anchorage used with a pre-adjusted appliance system

The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the anchorage effectiveness of using either micro-implants or extraoral headgear with the McLaughlin-Bennett-Trevisi (MBT) system. Thirty young Chinese adults (14 males and 16 females) aged 18-22 years with anterior bimaxillary protrusion were divided randomly into two equal groups, treated with the MBT system anchored by either micro-implants or headgear. Nine measurements obtained before and after treatment from lateral cephalometric radiographs were assessed for the two groups, using the Mann-Whitney U test with alpha = 0.05 for statistical significance. The maxillary incisors in the micro-implant group were significantly more retracted and intruded, while the lower incisors were more lingually inclined, than in the headgear group. The occlusal and mandibular planes were rotated more counterclockwise in the micro-implant group than in the headgear group (P < 0.05). Compared with headgear anchorage, micro-implant anchorage may counteract clockwise rotation of the occlusal and mandibular planes and result in different final positions for the maxillary and mandibular incisors.