Association of Clinical, Biomechanical, and Psychosocial Factors with Smile Dynamics in Unilateral Cleft Lip: A Multicenter Observational Study.

Objective: To investigate the association between clinical, biomechanical, and psychosocial factors and smiling behavior in individuals with treated unilateral cleft lip with or without cleft palate (UCL ± P) compared to non-cleft controls.

Design: Multicenter observational study in New Zealand.

Participants: Individuals aged ≥15 ( = 42) comprised 2 study groups: a UCL ± P group ( = 21) and a non-cleft control group ( = 21).

Some orthodontists' experiences of volunteering for a community orthodontic initiative.

Introduction: In society, dental professionals, including orthodontists, are often viewed as being solely motivated by money. Nevertheless, numerous orthodontists volunteer for community initiatives where they provide free or heavily subsidized treatment for underserved populations. This study explores the motivations of a group of New Zealand orthodontists who volunteered for one of these initiatives, Wish For A Smile (WFAS), as well as the high and low points of this work.

Stopping antithrombotic therapy after acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is associated with reduced survival.

Introduction: Antithrombotic drugs are often stopped following acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) and frequently not restarted. The practice of antithrombotic discontinuation on discharge and its impact on outcomes are unclear.

Objective: To assess whether restarting antithrombotic therapy, prior to hospital discharge for AUGIB, affected clinical outcomes.

Human intrahepatic regulatory T cells are functional, require IL-2 from effector cells for survival, and are susceptible to Fas ligand-mediated apoptosis.

Unlabelled: Regulatory T cells (Treg ) suppress T effector cell proliferation and maintain immune homeostasis. Autoimmune liver diseases persist despite high frequencies of Treg in the liver, suggesting that the local hepatic microenvironment might affect Treg stability, survival, and function. We hypothesized that interactions between Treg and endothelial cells during recruitment and then with epithelial cells within the liver affect Treg stability, survival, and function.

Oral health-related quality of life changes in standard, cleft, and surgery patients after orthodontic treatment.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of orthodontic treatment on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in groups of standard patients with severe malocclusions; cleft lip, cleft palate, or cleft lip and palate patients; and orthognathic surgery patients.

Methods: The study sample consisted of 83 consecutive patients undergoing treatment at the orthodontic unit of Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand, divided into 3 groups: 30 adolescents with severe malocclusions; 24 adolescents with cleft lip, cleft palate, or cleft lip and palate; and 29 adults with severe skeletal discrepancies requiring both orthognathic surgery and orthodontic treatment. Each patient completed the Short Form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire before and after orthodontic treatment.

The effect of incremental lower lip advancement on oral pressure and EMG activity of the lower lip.

Objectives: During orthodontic arch expansion, the teeth are displaced against the perioral soft tissues. This can affect the equilibrium of forces that are thought to act on teeth, with consequent implications for long-term stability. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of incremental lower lip advancement on intraoral pressure and electromyographic (EMG) activity of the lower lip.

Evaluation of primary surgical outcomes in New Zealand patients with unilateral clefts of the lip and palate.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the primary surgical outcomes of complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) patients in two New Zealand cleft care centres.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of two providers of cleft care in New Zealand: Centre A in the North Island and Centre B in the South Island of New Zealand. Preorthodontic study models were evaluated from 28 UCLP patients from Centre A with primary surgical repairs performed between 1987-1999 and 31 UCLP patients from Centre B with primary surgical repairs performed between 1984-2000.

Dilemmas in managing oral dysplasia: a case report and literature review.

Oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) is a premalignant lesion which has an unpredictable course of progression. Its management has remained controversial due to a lack of high-quality prospective studies evaluating the different treatment modalities.1 We present a patient with a long history of OED which subsequently transformed into malignancy.