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The aim of this prospective randomized clinical study was to cephalometrically investigate the dentoalveolar and soft tissue changes produced by a removable appliance with a palatal crib associated with high-pull chin cup therapy in children with an Angle Class I anterior open bite (AOB) malocclusion. Thirty children (8 males and 22 females) with an initial mean age of 8.3 years and a mean AOB of 4.1 mm were treated with a removable appliance composed of a palatal crib associated with chin cup therapy for 12 months. A control group of 30 individuals (7 males and 23 females) closely matched for age, initial mean age 8.6 years, gender, and ethnicity with a mean AOB of 4.6 mm was followed without treatment. The measurements (means and standard deviations) were statistically analysed using a paired t-test. The results showed no significant differences in the level of molar eruption or in lower anterior face height, suggesting that the vertical control expected from the chin cup therapy did not occur. Dentoalveolar changes at the anterior region were evident, with statistically significant extrusion, retrusion, and lingual tipping of the maxillary and mandibular incisors (P < or = 0.05). However, these hard tissue changes did not imply soft tissue changes and the variables related to the soft profile were not statistically significantly different between the groups. The dentoalveolar changes at the anterior region of the dental arches were mainly responsible for closure of the AOB in patients treated in the mixed dentition.

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The purpose of this retrospective investigation was to evaluate the dentoalveolar and skeletal cephalometric changes of the Bionator appliance on individuals with a Class II division 1 malocclusion. Lateral cephalograms of 44 patients were divided into two equal groups. The control group comprised 22 untreated Class II children (11 males, 11 females), with an initial mean age of 8 years 7 months who were followed without treatment for a period of 13 months. The Bionator group (11 males, 11 females) had an initial mean age of 10 years 8 months, and were treated for a mean period of 16 months. Lateral cephalometric headfilms were obtained of each patient and control at the beginning and end of treatment. The results showed that there were no changes in forward growth of the maxilla in the experimental group compared with the control group. However, the Bionator treatment produced a statistically significant increase in mandibular protrusion, and in total mandibular and body lengths. There were no statistically significant differences in craniofacial growth direction between the Bionator group and the control group, although the treated patients demonstrated a greater increase in posterior face height. The Bionator appliance produced labial tipping of the lower incisors and lingual inclination of the upper incisors, as well as a significant increase (P < 0.01) in mandibular posterior dentoalveolar height. The major effects of the Bionator appliance were dentoalveolar, with a smaller significant skeletal effect. The results indicate that the correction of a Class II division 1 malocclusion with the Bionator appliance is achieved not only by a combination of mandibular skeletal effects, but also by significant dentoalveolar changes.