The Grummons face mask as an early treatment modality within a class III therapy concept.
OBJECTIVE
An underdeveloped maxillary complex is a major cause of the problems underlying skeletal Class III cases. The efficiency of early orthodontic therapy is shown with reference to a treatment method acting primarily on the maxillary complex.


METHODS
The collective comprised 21 patients whose orthodontic therapy at the age of 5 to 9 years was invariably started with a palatal expander. This was followed by further development of the nasomaxillary complex, using a Grummons face mask for a period ranging from 3 to 15 months. With reference to findings from plaster casts and lateral cephalograms, the efficiency of early treatment as an important part of the overall therapy concept was evaluated.


RESULTS
The mean improvement in anterior overbite was 3.4 mm. The lateral cephalograms revealed a marked improvement in the distance between the upper first molars and the pterygoid vertical (+ 4.1 mm), in the convexity of A (+ 2.2 mm), and in the SNA angle (+ 2.3 degrees).


CONCLUSIONS
Early treatment combining rapid maxillary expansion and Grummons face mask resulted in a decisive improvement in the sagittal-basal relations.
Hegmann
Michael
M
hegmann-kfo@t-online.de
Rüther
Anne-Kathrin
AK
D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004867:Equipment Design; D005115:Extraoral Traction Appliances; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008313:Malocclusion, Angle Class III / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D003765:Models, Dental; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome