Dr. Ying Liu Participates in OHSU Orthodontics Study

Dr. Ying Liu, Assistant Professor in East Tennessee State University College of Public Health’s Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, is part of a study funded by the National Institutes of Health to research how mechanobehavior affects of outcomes of orthopedic appliances in brachyfacial and dolichofacial children.

Dr. Laura Iwasaki, Chair of Oregon Health & Science University Orthodontics, is principal investigator of the study.  Co-investigators include Dr. Liu as well as Drs. Michelle Kim, Hongzeng Liu, and Jeff Nickel of OHSU, and Dr. Luigi Gallo of the University of Zurich.

Each year, across the United States, treatment of malocclusions costs more than $9.5 billion, and represents the third largest category of dental procedures for people under 20 years of age. Approximately one third of malocclusions involve treatment of skeletal discrepancies due to mandibular retrognathism.  The annual failure rates of mandibular growth enhancement therapies results in direct costs of greater than $700 million dollars. Furthermore, poor results may require the surgical management of the malocclusion, which adds morbidity risk and considerably more financial costs.

The focus of the study is to identify how TMJ intracapsular mechanics, and day- and night-time muscle activities differentially affects outcomes of orthopedic appliances in diagnostic subgroups of growing children. The long-term goal of the research is to identifying practical ways to improve outcomes and reduce the financial burdens of unsuccessful therapies.