Treatment outcomes of growing Class II Division 1 patients with varying degrees of anteroposterior and vertical dysplasias, Part 1. Cephalometrics

Abstract

The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the differences in orthodontic treatment outcomes for 5 groups of growing Class II Division 1 patients with various anteroposterior and vertical skeletal dysplasias. Pretreatment and posttreatment cephalograms of 100 patients were evaluated for soft and hard tissue treatment effects and differences between groups. Changes from pretreatment to posttreatment differed between groups in correction of overjet and change in ANB angle ( P < .05). Those with the largest skeletal dysplasias had the greatest skeletal correction but also retained the largest ANB angles posttreatment. Additional correction was achieved through dentoalveolar change with the greatest uprighting of maxillary incisors occurring in patients who initially were the most severely affected ( P < .05); this effect was accompanied by an increase in nasolabial angle. All groups had similar changes in mandibular incisor positions, and final positions of the mandibular incisors did not differ between groups. Compared with norms, Z angles and facial contour angles showed discrimination between the most and least severely affected patients based on combined anteroposterior and vertical dysplasias ( P < .05). However, there were no clear-cut divisions between the groups, especially with regard to soft tissue cephalometric outcomes. Further evaluation of profile esthetics follows in Part 2. We conclude that conventional orthodontic therapy successfully corrects Class II Division 1 malocclusions in growing patients through a combination of skeletal and dentoalveolar changes, with the greatest changes occurring in patients who initially have the most severe skeletal dysplasias.