Evaluation of posttreatment changes in Class II Division 1 patients after nonextraction orthodontic treatment:...

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate changes in patients with Class II Division 1 malocclusions treated with cervical headgear and full fixed orthodontic appliances and without extractions.

Lateral cephalograms and dental casts of 18 patients were obtained at the beginning and the end of treatment and at the postretention period. Pretreatment records were taken at 11.9 +/- 2.6 years, and the mean treatment time was 2.8 +/- 1.2 years. All patients were asked to use maxillary and mandibular Hawley retainers for 1 year. The average postretention interval was 5.3 years.

The assessment of cephalometric findings showed that maxillary growth was restricted; maxillary incisor inclination, overjet, and overbite were decreased; the mandibular incisors were proclined; and a slight mandibular posterior rotation occurred at the end of treatment. At the postretention period, the maxilla remained stable, the mandible moved anteriorly, and the overjet increased slightly (1.25 mm, P < .01). The dental cast changes indicated that both maxillary and mandibular irregularity index values decreased significantly during treatment but increased after 5 years. Mandibular intercanine width decreased 0.47 mm ( P < .01) during the postretention period.

The redirection of maxillary growth remained stable in patients with Class II malocclusions treated with cervical headgear and fixed orthodontic appliances and without extractions, but treatment-induced mandibular rotations tended to return to their original patterns. Various dental changes occurred during the postretention period.