Acoustic Measurements of Speech and Voice in Men with Angle Class II, Division 1, Malocclusion.

 The acoustic analysis of speech (measurements of the fundamental frequency and formant frequencies) of different vowels produced by speakers with the Angle class II, division 1, malocclusion can provide information about the relationship between articulatory and phonatory mechanisms in this type of maxillomandibular disproportion.  To investigate acoustic measurements related to the fundamental frequency (F0) and formant frequencies (F1 and F2) of the oral vowels of Brazilian Portuguese (BP) produced by male speakers with Angle class II, division 1, malocclusion (study group) and compare with men with Angle class I malocclusion (control group).  In total, 60 men (20 with class II, 40 with class I) aged between 18 and 40 years were included in the study.

Acoustic Analysis of Voice and Speech in Men with Skeletal Class III Malocclusion: A Pilot Study.

Objectives: To assess the fundamental (f0) and first third formant (F1, F2, F3) frequencies of the 7 oral vowels of Brazilian Portuguese in men with skeletal class III malocclusion and to compare these measures with a control group of individuals with Angle's class I.

Methods: Sixty men aged 18-40 years, 20 with Angle's class III skeletal malocclusion and 40 with Angle's class I malocclusion were selected by speech therapists and dentists. The speech signals were obtained from sustained vowels, and the values of f0 and frequencies of F1, F2 and F3 were estimated.

Superficial morphology and mechanical properties of in vivo aged orthodontic ligatures.

Introduction: The degradation of elastic ligatures in the oral environment results in the need of periodic replacement to maintain the optimal force during the orthodontic treatment. The purpose of this study was to perform a clinical prospective randomized study of the degradation of orthodontic elastomeric ligatures in the oral environment by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and tensile strength test.

Methods: Two hundred elastic ligatures were randomly selected and placed around the brackets of 5 volunteers and removed in groups of 10, at different times (1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks).

Aesthetic comparison of the ideal nasal radix height in Brazilians.

Unlabelled: The harmony of the facial profile is widely influenced by the height and form of the nasal dorsum. A few millimeters can make the lateral view aesthetically more or less pleasing and adequate in a subject's face. Professionals working with facial aesthetics should focus not only on the surgical techniques for proposed outcomes, but also with the subtleties and subjectivity that characterize aesthetic concepts and judgment.