Evaluation of Dentoalveolar Compensation in the Treatment of Class III Malocclusion

Abstract

Background: In Class III patients with mild jaw discrepancies and no cosmetic problems, compensatory orthodontic treatment is an alternative for them. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the cephalometric and occlusal changes of dentoalveolar compensation in the treatment of Class III malocclusions. Methods: The sample consisted of 23 adult patients (mean age, 25.18 years) from whom lateral headfilms and dental casts were obtained and evaluated at the pretreatment and posttreatment stages. The cephalometric treatment changes were evaluated with paired t tests performed between the two stages, as well as the pretreatment and posttreatment occlusal statuses, assessed with Grainger’s treatment priority index (TPI), in order to evaluate the amount of occlusal changes. Results: Cephalometric results showed statistically significant dentoalveolar changes primarily in the mandibular component. There were significant increases in overbite and overjet and decreases in apical base discrepancy and facial concavity. Occlusal results showed statistically significant reductions in TPI score, achieving an improvement ratio of 82.17% with the treatment protocol. Conclusions: Compensatory treatment of adult patients with Class III malocclusion produce favorable and significant amount of dentoalveolar, skeletal and occlusal changes.