Clinical Research Directory

Orthodontic Pain Alleviation With Chewing Gum

The aim of this study is to determine whether chewing gum can alleviate orthodontic treatment discomfort and improve orthodontic treatment experience. The long-term goal is to enable clinicians to decide whether prescription of chewing gum at the placement of orthodontic appliances can improve patient experience with orthodontic treatment. In specific, a total of 60 patients under the age of 18 will be recruited for the study. Consent will be signed by both the child patient and the parents. 30 patients will be asked to chew xylitol gum and the other 30 patients will refrain from chewing gum and serve as the control group. At the appointment for insertion of orthodontic appliances, patients will be instructed to chew one serving or two pieces of xylitol gum three times per day for a total of six grams of xylitol per day. Patients will participate in a survey at the following timepoints- 4 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 7 days. The expectation is that this study will determine the effectiveness of using xylitol to decrease pain in orthodontic patients.

Treatment of Class II Malocclusion With Excessive Overjet

Class II malocclusion with excessive overjet is one of the most common malocclusions among children and adolescents. The overall goal of the project is to analyze orthodontic treatment of Class II malocclusion with excessive overjet when the treatment is started in different ages and treated with removable and/or fixed appliance. Treatment initiated before the age of eleven is performed with a removable functional appliance, Headgear Activator (HGA). Treatment starting in early adolescence is performed with fixed orthodontic appliance (FA). The hypotheses are: * Treatment with HGA at the age of nine or eleven is effective. No spontaneous correction of the malocclusion is expected in the untreated control group. * Patient experience, treatment effect and cost-effectiveness are equivalent whether the treatment with HGA is initiated at the age of nine or eleven. * Treatment results, patient experience and treatment- and cost-effectiveness are equivalent whether treatment is initiated early with HGA or initiated in early adolescence with FA. * The treatment of Class II malocclusion with excessive overjet renders long-term treatment stability and patient satisfaction.

Benefits of an Orthodontic Device Removable Functional Appliance in the Management of Malocclusions/Orofacial Dysfunctions

The removable functional appliance's goal is to restore functional balance (breathing, swallowing, chewing, etc.) and muscular balance (facial muscles, etc.) in the child. This promotes the establishment of a harmonious and stable occlusion.. The objective of this study is to investigate the benefits of an orthodontic device (removable functional appliance ) in the management of malocclusions/orofacial dysfunctions