The maxillary sagittal appliance: a clinical study.
A clinical review of the maxillary sagittal appliance is presented. The appliance is an active plate with expansion screws in the anteroposterior direction, hence the name. It is used to advance the maxillary incisors and to distalize the maxillary molars, thereby increasing arch length. No control or reference group was used. The maxillary incisors were advanced approximately 2 mm and the inclination was increased approximately 8 degrees. Cephalometrically, the maxillary molars were not distalized, possibly because no second molars were extracted. A minor advancement was noted at A point and the upper lip was advanced 1.4 mm. Very little change was noted in the mandibular dentition or mandibular skeletal measurements except for the overall mandibular length, which increased 3.00 mm during the 7.4 months of average treatment time. The lower anterior facial height increased 2.85 mm, which was more than expected and many contraindicate the appliance in long-faced patients. The appliance is easy to manage clinically and provides another appliance that may be used to decompensate the maxillary teeth before functional jaw orthodpedic (FJO) therapy or fixed therapy in Class II, Division 1 or Class II, Division 2 patients with a flat or recessive upper lip.
D000202:Activator Appliances; D000293:Adolescent; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008046:Lip / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D008312:Malocclusion, Angle Class II / Q000628:therapy; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009968:Orthodontic Appliances, Removable; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010865:Pilot Projects