Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) index outcomes for orthodontic and orthognathic surgery patients

The Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) index is commonly used to evaluate occlusal outcomes after orthodontic treatment. We compared the PAR outcomes of 40 consecutively treated orthodontic patients and 40 orthognathic patients to evaluate the standard of care given. A patient-centred questionnaire was used to examine patients' perceptions of the benefits of orthognathic treatment. PAR scores of orthodontic and orthognathic patients improved by a mean of 77% and 74%, respectively, after treatment indicating that excellent to good occlusal results were achieved for both groups. A high quality occlusal outcome is important for all patients as good intercuspation at the end of treatment is thought to improve stability. Most orthognathic patients reported improvements in their dental and facial appearance and thought that the treatment had been beneficial.

A study in vitro of the combined effects of soft drinks and tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste on the wear of dentine

The aim of this study was to measure loss of dentine produced by soft drinks alone and combined with tooth brushing with and without toothpastes. Groups of flat human dentine specimens were exposed for 10 min and then 30 min to orange juice (OJ), carbonated cola (CC) or modified blackcurrant (MB) drinks alone or after the exposures brushed with a fluoride toothpaste for 10 s. Further groups were exposed to OJ as before but brushed with water or non-fluoride toothpaste or placed in slurries of fluoride paste. Five cycles of each regimen were carried out. Tissue loss was determined by profilometry. Water immersion/brushing and brushing controls were included. OJ and CC produced similar erosion and significantly more than MB. Compared with drinks alone, dentine loss was reduced by fluoride toothpaste brushing but increased by water and non-fluoride toothpaste brushing. Fluoride toothpaste slurry had no significant effect on soft drink erosion. Very little abrasion with brushing alone was recorded over the time frame of these experiments. It is concluded that fluoride toothpaste could provide protection, albeit small, against erosion. The data again support the concept of brushing before meals.