Is early Class III protraction facemask treatment effective? A multicentre, randomized, controlled trial: 3-year...

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Craniofacial Growth

Background:

• Class III malocclusion is a common condition in children.
• Early intervention may offer better treatment outcomes.
• Protraction facemask therapy is a common treatment modality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the 3-year effectiveness of early class III protraction facemask treatment in children under 10.
• To assess skeletal, occlusal, and psychosocial changes.
• To determine long-term treatment success.

Main Methods:

• Multicentre randomized controlled trial with 73 patients.
• Patients allocated to protraction facemask group (PFG) or control group (CG).
• Assessed dentofacial changes via cephalograms, occlusal changes (PAR), self-esteem, psychosocial impact, and TMJ status over 3 years.

Main Results:

• Early protraction facemask treatment significantly improved ANB angle (P=.001) and overjet (P=.001) at 3-year follow-up.
• A 21% improvement in Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) was observed in the PFG, while the CG worsened (P=.02).
• No significant differences in self-esteem or psychosocial impact of malocclusion were found between groups.

Conclusions:

• Early class III protraction facemask treatment demonstrates sustained effectiveness in improving skeletal and occlusal parameters at 3 years.
• Seventy percent of patients in the PFG achieved ongoing treatment success, defined by a maintained positive overjet.
• The treatment did not influence self-esteem or the psychosocial impact of malocclusion.