Abstract:
The aim of this study was to evaluate through lateral cephalograms, skeletal and dentoalveolar effects comparing two groups of patients treated with elastics and with fixed functional appliances. A study group of forty-two young patients was used in active growth phase, twenty- one patients treated with elastics, and twenty one subjects treated with a several types of fixed functional appliances. Group 1 was composed of twenty- one patients treated with intermaxillary elastics (fourteen women and seven men, mean age 12.98 +- 2.48 years and treatment time 2.13 +- 0.89 years). Group 2 was composted of twenty -one subjects treated with a several types of fixed functional appliances (nine patients treated with MPA, seven patients treated with Forsus appliance, three patients treated with Jasper Jumper and two patients treated with Herbst), eight women and thirteen men, mean age 12.16 +- 1.97 years and treatment time 2.17 +- 0.94 years. Initial and final radiographs of all patients for data collection were used. The groups were compared by statistical analysis using the independent t-tests. Results showed a great similarity of values between two groups. Among the variables analyzed, the pretreatment statistical differences were group 1 had lower incisors more protracted, and group 2, an overbite and a malocclusion severity larger than group 1. The results of the comparison of treatments, group 2 showed greater effects in the correction of overjet and molar relationship. At the postreatment, group 1 had the most protracted and proclined upper incisors and the most protruded lower incisors when compared with group 2. It was concluded that the dentoalveolar and skeletal changes promoted by both protocols are similar, and that the few differences observed between groups are more related to the initial nature of the sample itself to the results of a specific treatment.
