Abstract

Class II Malocclusion: Controlling Overjet to Advance the Jaw in Growing Patients

by Manni Antonio

Class II malocclusion is characterized by convexity of the profile, due in about 90% of subjects to retrusion of the mandible. Traditional techniques, as is well known, have good efficacy on alveolodental correction but little efficacy on the skeletal component. The scientific literature has shown that the limitation of these therapies is related to the tooth movement itself: the loss of sagittal anchorage between the two arches causes the upper incisors to move lingually and the lower incisors to move buccally, with reduced space available to the advancement of the mandible (overjet). At the same time, the loss of anchorage in the vertical plane determines a clockwise rotation of the occlusal plane, which results in a clockwise rotation of the mandible. The other limitation of Class II mechanics is that the therapy always has a distalizing effect on the upper jaw with opening of the nasolabial angle. Controlling the overjet and the nasolabial angle by means of skeletal anchorage is the key element in the success of Class II malocclusions’ therapy.

Learning Objectives

After this lecture, you will be able to learn to observe the overjet in order to understand whether the mandible will advance in a clinically evident way (main predictor in Class II malocclusions).
After this lecture, you will be able to carefully evaluate the nasolabial angle to implement the right strategy that allows to control it.
After this lecture, you will be able to define useful principles to have skeletal and esthetic correction of Class II malocclusion