Early mixed dentition treatment: postretention evaluation of stability and relapse
Abstract
Twenty-five patients who underwent early mixed dentition treatment were evaluated during the following stages: pretreatment (early mixed dentition), phase 2 (early permanent dentition), and postretention (average of 9.5 years). All patients were treated with a removable passive lingual arch. The mandibular incisors were judged to have satisfactory alignment at phase 2 evaluation and had no further orthodontic treatment.
Nineteen of 25 cases (76%) demonstrated clinically satisfactory mandibular alignment postretention. Intercanine width decreased in 72% of the cases postretention and arch length decreased in 100% postretention. Intermolar width increased in 18 of 25 (72%) of the cases during treatment and remained stable in 17 of 25 (68%) of the cases. No predictors or associations could be found to help clinicians in determining the long-term prognosis of dental stability.
Contributor Notes
S.A. Dugoni is an associate clinical professor at the University of the Pacific, School of Dentistry, Deptartment of Orthodontics, San Francisco, Calif
J.S. Lee is an assistant clinical professor at the University of the Pacific, School of Dentistry, Deptartment of Orthodontics
J. Varela is in private practice in Madrid, Spain
A.A. Dugoni is dean and professor of orthodontics, University of the Pacific, School of Dentistry