Chin cup treatment outcomes in skeletal Class III dolicho- versus nondolichofacial patients

This study examines cephalometric differences and sex differences in the long-term outcome of chin cup treatments of Class III subjects with two facial patterns. Seventeen nondolichofacial and 16 dolichofacial Class III male patients and 16 nondolichofacial and 16 dolichofacial female patients were treated by either bicuspid extraction or nonextraction. Rapid palatal expansion without maxillary protraction was performed on 11 male cases and 15 female cases. The borderline between the two groups was drawn either at 39 degrees mandibular plane angle or 132 degrees (male subjects) or 130 degrees (female subjects) gonial angle. Dolichofacial subjects were treated with either an occipital or a high-pull chin cup force during the first two years, followed by high-pull force during night-time wear for the subsequent three years. All treated cases showed excellent results in the retention records with acceptable posterior occlusion as well as excellent skeletal and soft-tissue profiles. In addition, patient compliance was excellent. The treatment outcomes of the two groups showed significant improvement of the skeletal Class III malocclusion. This study indicated that the treatment period and wear time of the chin cup appliance in nondolichofacial (mostly mesiofacial pattern) patients could be shorter than those of dolichofacial patients. Although all subjects showed significant improvement in the Class III malocclusion, the treatment outcome in the two groups maintained the original characteristic skeletal morphology at retention.