Quantitative evaluation and affecting factors of post-treatment relapse tendency / 대한치과교정학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate relapse tendency after orthodontic treatment and determine the contributing factors by using the American Board of Orthodontics objective grading system (ABO-OGS). METHODS: The subjects were 80 patients with more than 2 years of retention period after completing orthodontic treatment at the dental hospitals of Busan University, Kyunghee University, and Dankook University. The posttreatment (T2) and post-retention (T3) ABO-OGS measurements were analyzed in relation to age, gender, Angle's classification, extraction, retention period, and pretreatment condition (initial peer assessment rating (PAR) index, T1) by multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the 7 ABO-OGS criteria, alignment worsened but occlusal contact and interproximal contact improved in T3, but not in T2 (p < 0.01). The 4 other criteria showed no significant differences. Multiple regression analysis showed that alignment, occlusal relationship, overjet, and interproximal contact were significant linear models, but with a low explanation power. Age, gender, Angle's classification, extraction, retention period, and pretreatment condition (initial PAR index, T1) had little influence on the ABO-OGS changes between T3 and T2. CONCLUSIONS: An orthodontist's understanding of post-treatment relapse tendency can be useful in diagnosis and during patient consultation.