Abstract
Interceptive treatment of Class III malocclusions is indicated if it reduces damage to the oral tissues, or prevents, or significantly reduces the amount, or severity, of future orthodontic treatment. Patients must be informed that the long-term success of interceptive treatment of Class III malocclusions cannot be guaranteed due to the unpredictability of future growth.
The choice of treatment depends on identifying the aetiology of the Class III malocclusion. The aetiology could be dental, a pseudo-Class III (which is due to a displacement of the mandible caused by a crossbite) or skeletal.
Simple anterior dental crossbites can be successfully treated with removable or fixed appliances in the mixed dentition.
Treatment with chin cup or functional appliances can correct a Class III incisor relationship, but any orthopaedic changes with these appliances are likely to be minimal.
Interceptive treatment with a protraction facemask treatment can reduce the need for future orthognathic surgical correction, when used on patients who are under 10, with a mild to moderate Class III and a retrusive maxilla, and with average or reduced vertical proportions.
Bone anchored appliances may offer the potential for more skeletal changes, but further research is needed in this area.
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Littlewood, S.J. (2017). Class III Malocclusion. In: Cobourne, M. (eds) Orthodontic Management of the Developing Dentition. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54637-7_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54637-7_10
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