Clinical Research Directory

Upper Airway's Pressure Drop Analyses After Mandibular Advancement and Maxillary Expansion

Breathing is a crucial function for everyone. Breathing impairment in children could lead to behavioral and cognitive problems at least. But what if orthodontic treatment could help those patients to breathe better, with less effort? This research proposal aims to find out if the increase in the upper airway volume seen in some research results can be related to a decrease in respiratory effort and an improvement in the breathing capacity of those patients. In other words, if a tube shape is changed or if a tube is enlarged, would the airflow passing inside the tube change in velocity? Or would there be more air? Therefore, investigating the pressure/airflow, volume/lumen relation and its possible changes after mandibular repositioning and maxillary expansion in children will lead to a better understanding of how orthodontics could potentially affect the upper airway. Previous studies have reported a link between mandibular advancement appliances and maxillary appliances to an increase in the upper airway volume. However, more studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between the changes in the upper airway volume and actual airflow and respiratory capability. The airway volume measurement is important to, preliminary, state if there is an increase in the upper airway after orthodontic treatment. However a change in shape, even with the same volume, can affect the pressure and airflow. In this sense, the pressure drop analysis will allow an answer to those questions

Time and Type Dependent Evaluation of Different Techniques for Correction of Cleft Maxillary Hypoplasia

Maxillary hypoplasia in CLP deformities results from congenital reduction in midfacial growth and the effects of the surgical scar from CLP repair.Turvey et al. suggested that this disproportionate jaw growth is the biologic consequence of prior surgical intervention for closure of the soft tissues and is not related to the congenital cleft deformity, Midfacial hypoplasia is commonly treated by performing conventional Le Fort surgery to displace the maxilla anteriorly and stabilization afterward with rigid fixation along with orthodontics treatment. . Midface hypoplasia cleft patient has the following characteristics: concave facial profile, inverted nasal tip, wide alar base, acute nasolabial angle, and excessive exposure of sclera. Intraoral findings are anterior and posterior crossbite, CLP, accentuated curve of Spee, Class III dental malocclusion, multiple missing teeth, oronasal communication, and residual cleft. Speech disturbances are also usually present due to velopharyngeal incompetency and oronasal communication.