Self-ligating vs. conventional brackets in the treatment of patients with Class II division 2 malocclusion: a clinical trial of dental and cephalometric analysis / 中华口腔医学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the dental and skeletal changes in patients with Class II division 2 malocclusion treated with self-ligating and conventional bracket systems.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty patients with Class II division 2 malocclusion were treated non-extraction. Half of them were treated with self-ligating brackets and the others were treated with conventional brackets. The dental casts and lateral cephalometric radiophotographs were analyzed before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Significant increase in inter premolar widths, arch lengths, U1-NA, L1-MP and arch perimeters were noted after orthodontic treatment in both groups. Statistically greater increase in upper inter-first premolar [(4.45 ± 2.60) mm] was found in self-ligating group than in conventional group [(2.41 ± 2.74) mm, P < 0.05]. Stepwise regression analysis indicated that the increase in arch length and arch width contributed to the increase in arch perimeter.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>There were an overall increase in arch widths and lengths in patients treated with self-ligating and conventional bracktets. However, more arch width increase was found in self-ligating group than in conventional group.</p>