Nonsurgical treatment of a patient with a Class III malocclusion.
A patient with a bilateral Class III molar relationship came to the Department of Orthodontics clinic at Case Western Reserve University. Our first choice for treatment was a combination of orthodontic therapy and orthognathic surgery. The patient, however, opted for a nonsurgical approach that took 34 months and involved the extraction of 4 first premolars and a remaining deciduous tooth, and Class III vertical elastics. Although orthodontic treatment was considered to be a second-line alternative, the results suggest that, for some surgical patients, orthodontic treatment alone might be a better choice because of the favorable cost/benefit ratio.
Moullas
Alexandros T
AT
Department of Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
Palomo
J Martin
JM
Gass
Jedidiah R
JR
Amberman
B Douglas
BD
White
John
J
Gustovich
Donald
D
D000293:Adolescent; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000601:surgery; D002508:Cephalometry; D003818:Dentition, Mixed; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008313:Malocclusion, Angle Class III / Q000628:therapy*; D019516:Orthodontic Space Closure; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D016896:Treatment Outcome