Comparison of transverse dimensional changes in surgical skeletal Class III patients with and without presurgical...

To investigate transverse dimensional changes of dental arches in surgical skeletal Class III patients with and without presurgical orthodontics.

Thirty-six patients with skeletal Class III were included and grouped into those with or without presurgical orthodontics. Eighteen patients (mean age, 22.3 +/- 3.8 years) with presurgical orthodontics (mean presurgical orthodontic treatment time, 176.3 +/- 38.3 days) were in the orthodontics-first (OF) group; the other 18 patients (mean age, 23.3 +/- 4.2 years) without presurgical orthodontics were in the surgery-first (SF) group. The posteroanterior cephalograms initially, before surgery, immediately after surgery, and 1 year after surgery were traced and analyzed. The inclination change of canines and molars was measured to interpret the changes of transverse dimension in both dental arches. Paired and unpaired t tests were performed to test intra- and intergroup differences (P < .05).

Dental changes in transverse planes demonstrated a similar trend in both groups. The maxillary canines were buccally tilted (SF vs OF group, 1.7 degrees vs 1.9 degrees), the maxillary molars were lingually tilted (SF group vs OF group, -4.7 degrees vs -1.0 degrees), the mandibular canines were lingually tilted (SF group vs OF group, 2.9 degrees vs 2.8 degrees), and the mandibular molars were buccally tilted (SF group vs OF group, -6.1 degrees vs -5.4 degrees).

The magnitude and trend of transverse dental changes in patients with surgical skeletal Class III were similar whether receiving presurgical orthodontics or not.