Three cases of anterior maxillary osteotomy under orotracheal intubation

Anterior maxillary osteotomy is frequently applied to skeletal Class II cases with maxillary protrusion. In addition to the anteroposterior problem, these cases are often accompanied with a long midfacial appearance and display of incisors and gingiva during smiling. In the application of anterior maxillary osteotomy to such patients, it is necessary to move the anterior maxillary segments upward as well as backward. Since the upward movement occasionally interferes with the intranasal endotracheal tube, orotracheal intubation is recommended for the operation. Recently, the use of a resin replica of the mandibular dental arch was introduced to place the anterior maxillary segment correctly in the planned position and to obtain the correct occlusion. This article reports on 3 maxillary protrusive skeletal Class II patients with deep overbites and vertical esthetic problems treated by this method. The treatment results show that all 3 patients exhibited large upward and backward movements of the anterior maxillary segments and desirable facial profiles, with a reduction of the deep overbites after the treatment. This case report demonstrates that the anterior maxillary osteotomy under orotracheal intubation with the use of a resin replica is a useful method to treat maxillary protrusive skeletal Class II patients with a large alveolar height.