New Solution in the Treatment of Children with Class II Malocclusion: Biblock Appliance.

Abstract

A new design, the Biblock appliance, was developed for the functional treatment of Class II malocclusions. To compare the effects of Biblock appliance (BA) and Activator appliance (AA) on the skeleton, dentoalveolar, and soft tissue in Class II malocclusions. Thirty-five patients with mandibular retrognathia caused by skeletal Class II malocclusion and normodivergent growth pattern were included in this study. After selecting the BA group (n = 17, 8 boys and 9 girls, mean age = 12.08 ± 0.37 years), we selected the active control group treated with AA (n = 18, 9 boys and 9 girls, mean age = 12.3 ± 0.27 years), which matched the BA group's development and gender. All patients were between PP2 = DP3u periods according to hand-wrist maturation. Cephalometric variables related to the skeletal, dentoalveolar, and soft tissue were measured. Treatment duration was 18.17 ± 1.45 months with BA and 16.92 ± 1.09 months with AA. Skeletal Class II malocclusion improved significantly in both groups. In the compared groups, the increase in ANS-Me was significantly higher in the AA group (P < 0.05). The Cd⊥SN and S-Cd increase in the compared groups was significantly higher in the BA group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in measurements between the groups in skeletal, dentoalveolar, and soft tissue measurements (P > 0.05). The effects of AA, an appliance accepted by the orthodontic community, and BA, a new design, on the skeletal, dentoalveolar, and soft tissue were similar.