A long-term evaluation of treated Class II division 2 malocclusions: a retrospective study model analysis

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Dental Malocclusion Studies

Background:

• Class II division 2 malocclusion presents complex treatment challenges.
• Long-term stability of orthodontic corrections is a critical concern for patients and clinicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term stability of orthodontic corrections for Class II division 2 malocclusion.
• To assess changes in occlusion, alignment, and arch dimensions at least 3 years post-retention.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of pre-treatment, end-of-treatment, and post-retention study models from 30 subjects.
• Assessment of molar relationship, overbite, anterior maxillary irregularities, and mandibular arch dimensions.

Main Results:

• Molar relationship correction demonstrated stability post-retention.
• Overbite correction showed a tendency to relapse; vertical stability prognosis was uncertain.
• Ten percent of cases exhibited unacceptable anterior maxillary irregularities.
• Mandibular arch width and length typically decreased post-retention, with increases in lower intercanine width and arch length relapsing.
• Thirty percent of cases showed unacceptable mandibular irregularity post-retention, linked to pre-treatment crowding.

Conclusions:

• While molar correction is stable, orthodontic treatment for Class II division 2 malocclusion has long-term challenges with overbite relapse and mandibular arch instability.
• Pre-treatment mandibular crowding is a significant predictor of post-retention irregularity.
• The duration of retention correlates with overbite relapse and mandibular irregularity.