Search

The aim of this study was to determine - on the basis of the most recent yearly listings - whether there were any common measurable variables associated with the smiles of the world's most influential people. A total of 168 subjects were selected from the lists of Time magazine's 100 most influential people during the period 2006-2010. Smiling frontal view photographs were obtained. Thirty-six variables for each subject were traced and measured using photogrammetric analysis to obtain qualitative and quantitative proportions and measurements. Differences with respect to gender, occupation and year of listing were tested to 95% significance, using the Student's t-test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The chi-squared test was used for qualitative variables. Irrespective of gender or occupation, the similar quantifiable characteristics of the smiles of the most influential subjects were the following: vertical upper lip proportion, smile width, incisor exposure, buccal corridor ratio, smile symmetry index and intra-dental proportions ( P > 0·05). Other qualitative standards were as follows: smile symmetry, the buccal corridors and smile arc, direction of occlusal cant and the degree of deviation between maxillary and facial midlines. Differences were found for gingival display and smile height parameters ( P = 0·001). The smiles of the world's most influential people revealed common standards, regardless of occupation or gender, which may play a decisive role in the expressions of influential faces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral Diseases (2012) 18, 198-205 Objective: External apical root resorption (EARR) is a frequent iatrogenic effect of orthodontic treatment. Patients with genetic variants in the interleukin 1 gene have been related to an increased risk of suffering EARR. The objective of this study is to determine whether variants in the interleukin 1 receptor antagonist gene are positively/negatively associated with interleukin 1 gene polymorphisms, particularly in relation to the clinical features of EARR patients. Materials and Methods: Genetic screening of 54 orthodontic patients was performed for three polymorphisms (rs1800587, rs1143634 and rs419598) in the IL1 gene cluster. Subjects were divided according to the presence or absence of EARR of more than 2 mm. The genotype distributions and allelic frequencies were calculated by the chi-square-test. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were also calculated. Results: A highly significant association was found in the comparative analysis of homozygous subjects [1/1(CC)] for the IL1B gene, resulting in an increased risk of suffering postorthodontic EARR (OR: 3.47; P = 0.027; CI: 95%). While no association was found for the IL1A gene (P = 0.097), subjects who were homozygous [1/1(TT)] for the IL1RN gene were more likely to be affected with EARR (OR: 6.75; P = 0.001; CI: 95%). Conclusion: Variations in the interleukin 1 receptor antagonist gene (rs419598) - and not only in the IL1B gene (rs1800587) - are determinants of a predisposition to postorthodontic EARR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]