RESUMO
This study aimed to investigate the elongation of the short mandible by the distraction osteogenesis technique. The results of this study showed a significant increase in the mandibular length after distraction with an improvement of the facial appearance of the patients. In all cases, there was no injury of the inferior alveolar nerve but lower lip hypothesia occurred with distraction and disappeared after its stoppage. Also, the families of the patients noted a marked improvement of snoring and it was completely disappeared after the stoppage of distraction. The side effects of distraction osteogenesis of the mandible were very minimal in the form of the occurrence of partial relapse in two cases and infection around the pin track occurred in one case only and controlled by local antibiotic