ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The goal was to investigate long-term (minimum 20 years) skeletal and dental changes in Angle class II division 1 patients treated with full-fixed orthodontic appliances and cervical pull headgear. METHODS: A longitudinal retrospective study was performed with 20 orthodontic patients, who were treated exclusively by one experienced clinician and whose treatment had been completed a minimum of 20 years ago. Former patients who had been treated from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s were actively sought. After the recall, 20 patients agreed to participate in the study. Lateral cephalometric radiographs at pretreatment (T1), posttreatment (T2), and long-term follow-up (T3) were digitized and measurements were performed. Angular variables used were SNA, SNB, ANB, OcclPl-FH, PalPl-FH, GoMe-FH, 1NA, and Y axis. Linear measures were ANPerp, Pg-NPerp, 1NAmm, Wits, and LAFH. RESULTS: From T1 to T2, a significant reduction (pâ¯<â¯0.01) in ANB angle from 4.70 to 2.48° and in Wits value from 3.42 to 0.98â¯mm were observed. It was also noticed a significant increase (pâ¯<â¯0.01) in LAFH from 62.02 to 67.39â¯mm, probably due to normal facial growth. From T2 to T3, these variables remained stable. No significant changes were observed for any other measure in any of the periods studied. CONCLUSIONS: In the assessed sample, Angle class II division 1 patients treated with cervical pull headgear presented cephalometric outcome stability of treatment, even after a long-term follow-up of a mean of 25 years postretention.