The lingual arch as a source of anchorage in Class II treatment: A cephalometric appraisal of forty treated cases

Abstract

A cephalometric and clinical appraisal of forty treated Class II (Angle) malocclusion cases selected from my private practice has been presented. In all of these cases the maxillomandibular relationship was corrected by the use of intermaxillary elastics, using the mandibular removable lingual arch as the source of anchorage. No extractions were performed and headcaps were not used either directly to the maxillary arch or in reinforcement of the mandibular anchorage. The following methods were employed to determine tooth movement that may have occurred in the mandibular arch as a result of the use of intermaxillary elastics: 1. 1. The angulation of the lower incisors to the lower border of the mandible was recorded on the pretreatment and posttreatment cephalometric roentgenograms to determine the extent of tipping that may have resulted. 2. 2. The measurement (in millimeters) of the labial incisal tip of the lower incisors to the nasion-pogonion reference line was recorded on the pre- and postcephalometric roentgenograms to determine the extent of forward movement of the incisors on the mandibular base. 3. 3. Tracings of the pretreatment and posttreatment cephalometric roentgenograms were made in each case by superimposing mandible on mandible, using pogonion and the lower border of the mandible as the fixed areas. The extent of forward movement of the mandibular incisors was measured in millimeters. 4. 4. A clinical study was also performed on the pre- and posttreatment mandibular models to measure expansion of the intercuspid width and changes in arch length of the premolar area.