No abstract

We analysed the prevalence of Angle Class II/1 and Angle Class II/2 subdivisions both to boys and girls. In the researched group, the prevalence of Angle Class II malocclusion was of 17.65%, the first subdivision having values of 13.59% and the second one II/2 of 4.06%. In the case of the schoolchildren’s place of origin (urban/rural) we noticed that the number of Angle malocclusions subdivision II/1 was three times bigger than the subdivision II/2. For both subdivisions, the values of the prevalence were almost equal to boys and girls registering a slight variation to schoolchildren aged (6 to 10) and (11 to 14), both in the rural and the urban area.

The dento-maxillary disharmony with crowding is defined in the specialized literature as a mismatch between the mesio-dental dimension of permanent teeth and the alveolo-dental arches. We identified the prevalence of dento-maxillary disharmony with crowding to a group of 1,188 children from Craiova, aged 6 to 14/15. The research based on two age groups: 6 to 10 and 11 to 14/15 year-old boys and girls. We found a prevalence of 28.37% of dento-maxillary disharmonies with crowding.

Sucking the thumb is considered an inborn reflex. However, after the age of four (in case of emotional instability and anxiety) this reflex becomes a bad habit. This vicious habit is one of the most important etiological factors which determine the Angle Class II/1 malocclusion. The research relied on the analysis of the photos of schoolchildren aged 6 to 14 who admitted the persistence of this bad habit and also had Angle Class II/1 malocclusions. We analysed the photos of the face and of the exobuccal and endobuccal profiles. We have chosen two cases from the researched group to highlight the clinical aspects of Angle Class II/1 malocclusions. The patients maintained the bad habit of sucking the thumb which, accompanied by other etiological factors, led to a skeletal disequilibrium. Thus, many modifications may appear such as: upper jaw prognathism and lower jaw retrognathism with a sagittal inocclusion as well as changes of the physiognomy specific to Angle Class II/1 malocclusions. In the case of Angle Class II/1 malocclusions, the coexistence of hereditary and functional pathologic factors generally leads to skeletal and neuro-muscular modifications with aesthetic repercussions.

Introductions. The vicious habit of sucking the thumb is an etiological factor of Angle Class II/1 malocclusion. Case presentation. In the clinical case that we intend to present, the main goal of the treatment was to recover the occlusion and the functions of the dento-maxillary complex. The treatment relied on the use of a fixed appliance. The sagittal inocclusion was thus reduced and the parameters of occlusion were brought to normality. Conclusions. We consider that the period of orthodontic treatment was reduced because the climax of the bones growth took place at the same time with the eruption of the 12-year-old molars.