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Background and Objectives : A national survey of cleft teams was undertaken to evaluate the current standard of care for patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) in India as a part of Cleft Care India study. Design : This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. Method : Cleft teams across India attending the 19th Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Cleft Lip and Palate were invited to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 18 questions that included demographics, institutional details, patient protocols, surgical technique, rehabilitation facilities, and accessibility. The data are descriptively reported. Results : A total of 112 centers completed the survey. Nongovernment organizations funded 87% of the cleft centers and 8% did not receive any funding. Only 39% of the centers had centralized cleft services providing multidisciplinary care. Speech therapy was provided either onsite or through referral at 90% of the centers, whereas audiology was provided only at 4% of centers. Feeding advice was routinely provided in 52% of centers. Millard technique was the most preferred technique for unilateral cleft lip repair (66%). The 2-flap technique (37%) and pharyngeal flap (48%) were the most common surgeries for cleft palate and pharyngoplasty, respectively. Although 54% of centers reported their patients to be interested in comprehensive care, 43% reported that their patients only wanted surgical correction. Conclusions : There is wide diversity in access to cleft care and clinical practices across centers in India. Further work is needed to evaluate the quality of care by assessing outcomes of centers treating patients with CLP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Excessive gingival display ('gummy smile') is often an esthetic concern for the patient. There is a difference in perception of smile esthetics between dentists and laypersons. Understanding what is acceptable to laypersons is critical to achieve patient satisfaction in terms of smile esthetics. The present study aimed to identify the ideal and acceptable range of excessive gingival display as defined by laypersons. Materials and methods: A systematic English language literature search was carried out in the following electronic bibliographic databases: PubMed, Scopus, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), Web of Science, and EMBASE, according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The quality of the articles was assessed using the AXIS tool as well as 11 additional criteria that were specifically designed for the study. Results: Out of the 1263 potentially eligible articles selected in the initial search, 34 were included in the final review. A total of 16 articles identified both the ideal values and the range of acceptance of excessive gingival display, 10 only the range of acceptance, and 8 only the ideal values. From the pooled sample, the mean threshold of acceptance was -0.84 ± 1.43 mm, the range of acceptance was +3 to -2.7 mm, and the median was 0.0 mm. Conclusion: The present study concluded that laypersons considered minimal gingival exposure (GE) or minimal tooth coverage (TC) to be the most esthetic. However, a smile falling in the range of 3 mm of GE to 2.7 mm of TC was considered acceptable. Knowledge of laypersons' threshold of acceptance of excessive gingival display can guide clinicians in evidence-based dental esthetic treatments. (Int J Esthet Dent 2022;17:2-30) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the unilateral and bilateral demonstration of molar-distalization devices in labial and lingual applications. It discusses the importance of the components of the appliance including the vertical arm which avoids impingment on the vestibule or palate and an interior miniscrew to provide length for the activation of coil spring. It further discusses steps of buccal and lingual application of the appliance so that it will be visible during patient's distalization process.

The article focuses on the basics of clinical photography, the operation of digital cameras, and solutions to common problems. The features of a digital single-lens reflex camera (SLR) are explained along with the automatic through-the-lens (TTL) metering, exposure settings and the photography area. Three types of electronic flash systems are discussed together with four possible configurations of studio lighting equipment for orthodontic photography. Recommended extraoral views are presented.

Aims: People with disabilities (PWD) often face more significant oral healthcare needs than the general population. This study, conducted in response to the urgent and pressing need for improved dental care for PWD, aims to assess the infrastructural and work process flow of dental centers in Delhi that provide specialized dental care for PWD., Methods and Results: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare centers in Delhi, evaluating their infrastructure adaptations and work processes in delivering oral healthcare to PWD. The findings, which highlight the disparities in adaptations and work processes among different healthcare centers, are crucial for understanding the current state of oral healthcare for PWD in Delhi. The study reveals that while secondary and tertiary healthcare centers exhibit better adaptations for PWD than primary centers, challenges persist with insufficient accessibility and smooth functioning of the work process., Conclusion: This study underscores the need for dentists to be equipped with the competence to address the unique needs of PWD. It also highlights the significant potential for improvement in oral healthcare for PWD, as dentists should become more aware of the importance of designing clinics that are accessible for PWD., (© 2024 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: To assess the factors influencing the type and timing of Alveolar Bone Grafting (ABG) among cleft centers throughout India. To examine the decision-making criteria for orthodontic treatment and the timing of ABG., Design: Cross sectional survey., Method: This survey was based on a convenience-based sample selected from cleft teams across India. The survey was formulated using the SurveyMonkey platform and emailed to 40 cleft teams. The survey included questions on demographics, timing, surgical protocol, orthodontic protocol, radiograph prescription rate, assessment methods for the success of ABG and three scenarios for evaluating the timing of the bone graft. The Chi-squared test was performed to evaluate the difference in opinion between specialists. The inter-examiner reliability was assessed using Kappa statistics., Results: Thirty-five units completed the questionnaire. Most units operate with 1-2 surgeons, with 42.9% of them treating cleft patients for under 5 years. Only 11.4% of centres routinely advised oblique occlusal radiographs for post-surgery evaluation, and 31.4% prescribed CBCT. However, 40% of cleft teams did not perform audits to evaluate the success of ABG, and less than 50% advised radiographs six months post-surgery. Around 26% of centres do not routinely provide orthodontic treatment pre-ABG. The inter-examiner reliability for case scenarios showed poor agreement between the clinicians., Conclusion: The survey showed a serious lack of consensus in the ABG treatment among cleft teams in India and emphasises the need for standardised protocols for the treatment of children with cleft palate. There is an urgent need to develop core outcome set in cleft., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

A national survey of cleft teams was undertaken to evaluate the current standard of care for patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) in India as a part of Cleft Care India study., This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study., Cleft teams across India attending the 19th Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Cleft Lip and Palate were invited to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 18 questions that included demographics, institutional details, patient protocols, surgical technique, rehabilitation facilities, and accessibility. The data are descriptively reported., A total of 112 centers completed the survey. Nongovernment organizations funded 87% of the cleft centers and 8% did not receive any funding. Only 39% of the centers had centralized cleft services providing multidisciplinary care. Speech therapy was provided either onsite or through referral at 90% of the centers, whereas audiology was provided only at 4% of centers. Feeding advice was routinely provided in 52% of centers. Millard technique was the most preferred technique for unilateral cleft lip repair (66%). The 2-flap technique (37%) and pharyngeal flap (48%) were the most common surgeries for cleft palate and pharyngoplasty, respectively. Although 54% of centers reported their patients to be interested in comprehensive care, 43% reported that their patients only wanted surgical correction., There is wide diversity in access to cleft care and clinical practices across centers in India. Further work is needed to evaluate the quality of care by assessing outcomes of centers treating patients with CLP.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has grown tremendously in the past decade. The application of AI in teledentistry can reform the way dental care, dental education, research, and subsequent innovations can happen remotely. Machine learning including deep learning-based algorithms can be developed to create predictive models of risk assessment for oral health related conditions, consequent complications, and patient stratification. Patients can be empowered to self-diagnose and apply preventive measures or self-manage some early stages of dental diseases. Applications of AI in teledentistry can be beneficial for both, the dental surgeon and the patient. AI enables better remote screening, diagnosis, record keeping, triaging, and monitoring of dental patients based on smart devices. This will take away rudimentary cases requiring run-of-the-mill treatments from dentists and enable them to concentrate on highly complex cases. This would also enable the dentists to serve a larger and deprived population in inaccessible areas. Its usage in teledentistry can bring a paradigm shift from curative to preventive personalised approach in dentistry. A strong asset to teledentistry could be a robust and comprehensive feedback mechanism routed through various channels proposed in this paper. This paper discusses the application of AI in teledentistry and proposes a feedback mechanism to enhance performance in teledentistry., Competing Interests: Conflict of interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022, Batra P et al., Applied Systems and Discoveries Journals.)

Needle-based devices are evolving as a promising diagnostic and therapeutic tool in the field of medicine. They can be used for drug delivery, as well as extraction of fluids, for systemic and local effects. The conventional methods of drug delivery require repeated dosing in the oral cavity due to the presence of saliva. Hence delivery systems, such as needle-based devices that could provide sustained release of the drug in the oral cavity, are required. These devices could also be a useful adjunct in diagnosis and therapy of oral cancers, delivering anti-cariogenic and antiplaque agents, for remote monitoring of oral health, and for administering painless and fearless local anesthesia. Since they offer many advantages, such as increased compliance, absence of needle phobia, they are painless, safe, self-applicable and are minimally invasive, they will have a major impact in the field of dentistry. This paper summarizes the various types of needle-based devices and their manufacturing technologies. The manuscript aims to serve as a foundational review that highlights and proposes several current and prospective impactful applications of these devices in various fields of dentistry., Competing Interests: Conflict of interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020, Batra et al. and Applied Systems.)

Orthodontic therapy is a force management procedure largely based on use of arch wires for storing and distributing biologically tolerable forces by means of which position of teeth is altered. Advances in material science and technology has resulted in an array of newer arch wire materials, opening new vistas, in orthodontic treatment. Materials with widely diverging properties are in the market today and their usage has profound implications on appliance mechanics, and are very much different from stainless steel which is popular even today. The dentists who practise orthodontics have to therefore clearly outline the phases of treatment and select the arch wire most suited for attaining specific treatment goals.

Sterilization and disinfection have been a matter of concern amongst dental health care workers since long. Delicate materials, electrical parts, orthodontic pliers, orthodontic wire cutters, are to be treated according to the manufacturer's instructions to safe guard the life of the instrument as well as to claim warranty for any damage incurred. Sterilization procedures used in Orthodontics should be simple but effective and of relatively short duration so that there is a readily available supply of sterile instruments and materials. The procedure should not cause any appreciable damage to dental instruments and other materials. An attempt has been made through this article, to provide information concerning methods and means of disinfection and sterilization of orthodontic clinics, instruments, materials and also waste disposal which can be adopted in private clinics as well as in hospital set ups.