Objective: To compare between the skeletal, dental, and soft tissue effects of the splint-supported FFRD and Class II intermaxillary elastics in growing patients with mild to moderate skeletal Class II malocclusion.
Material and methods: The Data of 20 growing females who were treated with either the splint-supported FFRD (10 patients, mean age 12.37+0.79) or Class II intermaxillary elastics (10 patients, mean age 12.55+0,88) were retrieved. They were treated till reaching an edge-to edge incisor relationship. Pretreatment and posttreatment cephalometric radiographs were traced and analyzed to compare between the 2 groups
Results: The splint-supported FFRD showed some skeletal effects represented by significant decrease in SNA angle (-0.88+0.37), minor advancement of the mandible (SNB=0.52+0.27), and significant reduction in the ANB angle (-1.31+0.55). No statistically significant skeletal effects were found in the Class II elastics group. The maxillary incisors were more significantly retroclined in the splint-supported FFRD while more extruded in the Class II elastics group. The Class II elastics group showed more proclination of the mandibular incisors (11.75+6.78) compared to (8.88+1.35) in the splint-supported FFRD group, more extrusion of the lower molars (1.92+0.26) and more significant protrusion of the lower lip (1.32+0.56). The angle of convexity was only improved in the splint-supported FFRD group.
Conclusion: Both treatment modalities were successful in treating mild to moderate Class II growing patients. Skeletal effects; mainly headgear effect, were only observed in the splint-supported FFRD group, while only dentoalveolar effects were noted in the Class II intermaxillary elastics group.