title: Perception of changes in soft-tissue profile after Herbst appliance treatment of Class II Division 1 malocclusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, we sought to assess the perception of changes in soft-tissue profile after Herbst appliance treatment by comparing facial profile silhouettes before treatment, immediately after treatment, and 2 years after treatment, as examined by orthodontists, general dentists, and laypersons.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample comprised 21 patients (mean age, 9.5 ± 0.5 years), who were treated with the Herbst appliance for a mean period of 12 (±1.1) months. Three lateral cephalograms were obtained at different times: baseline, immediately after removal of the Herbst appliance, and 2 years after removal of the appliance. The 63 resulting profile silhouettes were evaluated by 120 examiners divided into 3 groups: orthodontists, general dentists, and laypersons. The examiners were instructed to choose their preferred profile and note how much change they perceived across profiles using a visual analog scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All groups of examiners preferred the posttreatment profiles. However, on quantitative assessment, the magnitudes of changes in the profile were found to be variable and rather small, with laypersons quantifying the greatest magnitude of change.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early Herbst appliance treatment produced positive changes in the facial profile that were visually appreciable both immediately after removal of the appliance and 2 years after treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Centro Universitário Uninovafapi, Teresina, Piaui, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcus Vinicius Neiva Nunes do
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Rego
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Instituto e Centro de Pesquisas São Leopoldo Mandic, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elizabeth Ferreira
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, Teresina, Piaui, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rogério Menezes Ibiapina
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Centro Universitário Uninovafapi, Teresina, Piaui, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leanne Matias Portela
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Electronic address: thiesen.guilherme@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Guilherme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thiesen
mesh_terms: D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008312:Malocclusion, Angle Class II / Q000628:therapy*; D017289:Orthodontic Appliances, Functional; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome