Introduction: Treatment strategies for Class II malocclusion include functional appliance therapy, camouflage treatment involving extractions, or orthognathic surgery. Functional appliances such as the Twin Block are most effective in growing patients, as they leverage residual mandibular growth to posture the mandible forward, enhancing skeletal correction and airway dimensions. Patients with Class II malocclusion may present with a narrow airway due to the retrognathic positioning of the mandible. This retrospective cephalometric study compared the effects of functional appliance and camouflage therapy on the pharyngeal airway in patients exhibiting Class II division 1 malocclusion. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study comprised 40 pre- and post-treatment lateral cephalograms of patients treated with functional appliance and extraction therapy, obtained from the records database of patients who underwent orthodontic treatment in the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. Three linear pharyngeal airway parameters were taken, according to the measurements taken by Ozbek et al .: upper, middle, and lower pharyngeal width. Results: Functional appliance therapy demonstrated statistically significant improvements in the upper and middle airway dimensions between groups, whereas extraction therapy showed post-treatment reductions in the upper and lower airway dimensions within the group. Conclusions The findings underscore that functional appliances positively influence airway dimensions, particularly benefiting growing patients. It promotes forward mandibular positioning, contributing to improved airway patency and potentially mitigating risks of airway-related dysfunctions.
Pradhan et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: