Effects of Class III Elastics on Stability of Orthopaedic Class III Correction

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of adding elastics to orthodontic retainers on the stability of class III correction and whether it reduces the need for jaw surgery.

Over the years many types of appliances have been recommended for retaining Class III correction in growing children such as intermaxillary splints, class III activator, Frankel 3, Class III twin block, continued use of face-mask and chin-cup. However, currently none of these are in routine use and there is no evidence on the long term effectiveness of any retention protocol for class III correction. One of the most commonly used retainers following orthodontic treatment is clear plastic retainers. There are no studies that investigated whether using class III elastics in combination with clear plastic retainers improves the stability of class III correction and reduces the need for later jaw surgery.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients that completed their orthodontic treatment for the management of their skeletal class III with upper jaw retrusion that was treated with Class III orthopaedic appliances, followed by full fixed appliances. * No congenital anomalies or craniofacial syndromes * No other orthodontic treatment * No medical history that effects growth Exclusion Criteria: * Congenital anomalies or craniofacial syndromes * Other orthodontic treatment * Medical history that effects growth