Motivation, expectations and understanding of patients and their parents seeking orthodontic treatment in specialist practice.

Objectives: To determine patient and parent/guardian motivation, expectation and understanding of orthodontic treatment.

Design: A self-completion questionnaire survey of new patients referred for orthodontic assessment.

Setting: Specialist practices in Surrey and Berkshire (United Kingdom).

Hedgehog receptor function during craniofacial development.

The Hedgehog signalling pathway plays a fundamental role in orchestrating normal craniofacial development in vertebrates. In particular, Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is produced in three key domains during the early formation of the head; neuroectoderm of the ventral forebrain, facial ectoderm and the pharyngeal endoderm; with signal transduction evident in both ectodermal and mesenchymal tissue compartments. Shh signalling from the prechordal plate and ventral midline of the diencephalon is required for appropriate division of the eyefield and forebrain, with mutation in a number of pathway components associated with Holoprosencephaly, a clinically heterogeneous developmental defect characterized by a failure of the early forebrain vesicle to divide into distinct halves.

An evaluation of two different mandibular advancement devices on craniofacial characteristics and upper airway dimensions of Chinese adult obstructive sleep apnea patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of two different mandibular advancement devices (MADs) on craniofacial characteristics and upper airway dimensions of Chinese adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Materials And Methods: Forty-five patients with OSA were recruited as part of a prospective randomized crossover trial for treatment with two different MADs. Lateral cephalograms were taken, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Sleep Apnea Quality of Life Index were completed at baseline.