Prediction of oral discomfort and dysfunction in lingual orthodontics: a preliminary report.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this prospective study was to examine the influence of malocclusion on the amount of discomfort of patients who were treated with Incognito lingual brackets (T.O.P. Service, Ormco, Amersfoort, the Netherlands; ibraces in North and South America, Lingualcare, Dallas, Tex).


METHODS
Twenty-one female patients (mean age, 24.8 years; SD 10.7) participated in the investigation and completed a standardized questionnaire before and the day after placement of the appliance. One experienced orthodontist, blinded to the results of the questionnaires, evaluated their initial cephalograms and casts with respect to the parameters SNA, SNB, and ANB angles; overjet; overbite; maxillary and mandibular anterior contact-point displacement; crossbite; open bite; and missing teeth.


RESULTS
Malocclusion measured on the casts had no significant impact on the amount of discomfort or dysfunction reported by the patients. The SNA (r = -0.619, P = .003) and SNB (r = -0.615, P = .003) angles, however, correlated significantly with the restriction of tongue space; patients with an SNB angle that was smaller than 1 SD from the norm were significantly more prone to experience severe restriction of tongue space (P = .003).


CONCLUSIONS
The SNA and SNB angles are predictors for the level of tongue-space restriction after placement of lingual brackets: the smaller the angles, the more prone the patients are to experience discomfort.
Wiechmann
Dirk
D
Department of Orthodontics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Gerss
Joachim
J
Stamm
Thomas
T
Hohoff
Ariane
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D016910:Orthodontic Brackets / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014059:Tongue / Q000503:physiopathology*