ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Minerva Stomatologica 2019 June;68(3):118-25

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4970.19.04197-9

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Soft-tissue changes after Class II malocclusion treatment using the Sander bite-jumping appliance: a retrospective study

Michele TEPEDINO ¹ ✉, Maria V. DELLA NOCE ¹, Domenico CIAVARELLA ², Patrizia GALLENZI ³, Massimo CORDARO ³, Claudio CHIMENTI ¹

¹ Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy; ² Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy; ³ Institute of Dental Clinic and Maxillofacial Surgery, A. Gemelli University Policlinic IRCCS Foundation, Sacred Heart Catholic University, Rome, Italy

BACKGROUND: The soft tissue profile outcome after functional treatment of Class II malocclusion is important for a patient’s aesthetic and psychosocial results. The soft tissue effects of the Sander bite-jumping appliance (BJA), which is the device that produces the greatest mandibular advancement according to a systematic review, have never been investigated. The aim of the present study was to assess the soft tissue effects of the BJA in comparison to matched untreated controls.
METHODS: A total of 19 patients treated with BJA during puberty were retrospectively recruited, and 15 untreated controls were retrieved from a previous growth study to match the treated group. Lateral cephalograms were used to evaluate the pre- and post-treatment differences in the ANB angle, the inclination of the upper and lower incisors, facial convexity, the nasolabial angle and the sagittal position of the skeletal and soft tissue at points A and B. Independent t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests were used to detect differences between the two groups.
RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found for the ANB angle, the inclination of the upper incisors and facial convexity.
CONCLUSIONS: Functional treatment of Class II patients with the Sander BJA during puberty was effective at improving the profile and reducing the facial convexity angle in the short term.

KEY WORDS: Bite jumping appliance; Malocclusion, angle Class II; Orthodontics; Esthetics, dental