Abstract

Is It Possible to Prevent Class III Malocclusion Worsening?

by Primozic Jasmina

Treatment of skeletal Class III malocclusion is very challenging and usually requires repeated interventions through the whole period of growth and development. In many cases, at growth completion, surgical treatment is need. Therefore, early treatment mainly aims at prevention of the worsening of Class III malocclusion rather than at its complete resolution. In this regard, treatment should focus on the prevention of Class III worsening, possibly limited to procedures that do not compromise future surgical treatment. One of the aspects of such treatment is the correction of impaired orofacial functions as well as stimulation of maxillary growth, both in the sagittal and transverse direction. Moreover, dental compensations should be limited or even avoided, especially in cases with a poor prognosis. Nevertheless, treatment using skeletal anchorage might be used at later developmental stages to prevent worsening of Class III malocclusion, even when treatment was not performed at an earlier stage.

Learning Objectives

After this lecture, you will be able to choose an appropriate (early) treatment option for different Class III malocclusion
After this lecture, you will be able to select patients that will benefit from early treatment
After this lecture, you will be able to select the best treatment option according to the type of Class III malocclusion and the developmental phase