Evaluation of anteroposterior and vertical stability 25 years after Angle class II division 1 treatment with cervical headgear.

PURPOSE: The goal was to investigate long-term (minimum 20 years) skeletal and dental changes in Angle class II division 1 patients treated with full-fixed orthodontic appliances and cervical pull headgear. METHODS: A longitudinal retrospective study was performed with 20 orthodontic patients, who were treated exclusively by one experienced clinician and whose treatment had been completed a minimum of 20 years ago. Former patients who had been treated from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s were actively sought. After the recall, 20 patients agreed to participate in the study. Lateral cephalometric radiographs at pretreatment (T1), posttreatment (T2), and long-term follow-up (T3) were digitized and measurements were performed. Angular variables used were SNA, SNB, ANB, OcclPl-FH, PalPl-FH, GoMe-FH, 1­NA, and Y axis. Linear measures were A­NPerp, Pg-NPerp, 1­NAmm, Wits, and LAFH. RESULTS: From T1 to T2, a significant reduction (p < 0.01) in ANB angle from 4.70 to 2.48° and in Wits value from 3.42 to 0.98 mm were observed. It was also noticed a significant increase (p < 0.01) in LAFH from 62.02 to 67.39 mm, probably due to normal facial growth. From T2 to T3, these variables remained stable. No significant changes were observed for any other measure in any of the periods studied. CONCLUSIONS: In the assessed sample, Angle class II division 1 patients treated with cervical pull headgear presented cephalometric outcome stability of treatment, even after a long-term follow-up of a mean of 25 years postretention.