title: Skeletal, dental and soft tissue changes in Class III patients treated with fixed appliances and lower premolar extractions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mild Class III malocciusions can be treated by upper incisor proclination and lower incisor retroclination following extraction of the lower first premolars.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the skeletal, dental and soft tissue changes in Class III patients treated with fixed appliances, Class III traction and lower first premolar extractions with the changes in a group of untreated Class III patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Treatment group consisted of 30 Class III patients (Mean age 13.69 +/- 1.48 years) who were treated by upper and lower fixed appliances, Class III intermaxillary traction and lower first premolar extractions for 2.88 +/- 1.12 years. The Control group consisted of 20 untreated Class III patients (Mean age 13.51 +/- 0.95) matched for age and gender. The T1 to T2 changes in the treated and untreated groups were compared using a paired t-test while differences between the two groups were compared with an independent t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During treatment, the upper incisors were proclined about 1 degree and the lower incisors were retroclined 8 degrees. Small, but statistically significant changes in SNB, Wits and the overlying soft tissues accompanied the changes in incisor inclination. At the end of treatment a positive overbite and overjet were achieved. The increase in lower facial height in the Treatment group was comparable with the change in the Control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A range of mild to moderate Class III malocclusions can be treated by dentoalveolar compensation.
authors.affiliation: Preventive Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. elham@just.edu.jo
authors.forename: Elham S J
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Abu Alhaija
authors.forename: Susan N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Al-Khateeb
mesh_terms: D001641:Bicuspid / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D005115:Extraoral Traction Appliances; D006801:Humans; D007574:Jaw Relation Record; D008313:Malocclusion, Angle Class III / Q000628:therapy*; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011378:Prognathism / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D016896:Treatment Outcome