title: Comparative evaluation of soft tissue changes one year post-treatment in Twin Block and FORSUS FRD treated patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to compare and evaluate the effects of two functional treatment modalities, namely, Twin Block (TB) and FORSUS fatigue resistant device (FORSUS FRD) on facial soft tissues before and at one-year post-treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective cephalometric study involving 10 patients with skeletal class II abnormalities in each group. The mean age of patients was 12.5 ± 1.5 and 13.5 ± 1 years and treatment duration 20 ± 2 and 18 ± 2 months, respectively for TB and FORSUS FRD groups, respectively. The pre-treatment (T0) and one-year post-treatment cephalograms (T1) were compared for evaluation. Data were analysed using a pairedt-test and independent samplet-test for within-group and between-group comparisons, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The groups were compared at T0 and T1, and treatment/observation differences (T1 - T0) were evaluated with paired samplest-test atP< 0.05 level and unpaired samplet-test for group comparison. Statistically significant treatment changes were found for soft tissue changes in both TB and FORSUS FRD groups. Between the two groups, TB showed significant increase in the LAFH compared to the FORSUS FRD group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Statistically significant soft tissue changes were observed after TB and FORSUS FRD appliance therapy, resulting in improvement of facial balance and aesthetics. Both, TB and FORSUS FRD, have similar effects on soft tissues, but the effect of TB on LAFH and that of FORSUS on mentolabial sulcus was more profound.
authors.affiliation: Clasified Specialist (Orthodontics), Army Dental Centre (R&R), Delhi Cantt, New Delhi 110010, India.
authors.forename: Dinesh Chander
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Chaudhary
authors.affiliation: Professor (Orthodontics), Department of Dental Surgery, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 411040, India.
authors.forename: Prasanna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor (Orthodontics), Department of Dental Surgery, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 411040, India.
authors.forename: Mohit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor (Orthodontics), Department of Dental Surgery, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 411040, India.
authors.forename: Karan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nehra
keywords: FORSUS FRD; Functional orthodontic treatment; Skeletal class II malocclusion; Soft tissue profile; Twin Block appliance