Date of Award

Spring 1997

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Dentistry

First Advisor

Ferguson, Donald J.

Second Advisor

Kittleson, Russell T.

Third Advisor

Connell, Todd

Abstract

Impacted maxillary canines is a frequently encountered clinical problem in orthodontics. Of patients with maxillary impacted canines, about 8% present this condition bilaterally. An evaluation of the influence of mechano-therapy following orthodontic recovery of bilateral maxillary impacted cuspids has not been reported. The purpose of this study was: to evaluate changes in skeletal and dentaloalveolar patterns due to mechano-therapy for the clinical resolution of maxillary bilateral impacted cuspids. Fifty cases were selected from one private orthodontic office comprised of two full time private orthodontic practitioners. Complete records, including pre-treatment and post treatment lateral cephalograms were available for each subject chosen for the study. The total sample consisted of 75 subjects divided in three groups. Group 1 consisted of twenty five cases treated for maxillary bilateral impacted cuspids; the impacted cuspids were surgically exposed and orthodontically recovered. Group 2 was comprised of twenty five cases treated orthodontically using non-extraction therapy and none had impacted cuspids prior to treatment. In group 3, records of twenty five untreated subjects were selected from the Mooseheart data base which served as controls; the control subjects were age and gender matched to a composite of the combined two experimental groups. Cephalometric hard tissue landmarks on initial (T1) and follow up (T2) lateral radiographs were evaluated. For the two experimental groups, T1 and T2 were indicative of pre and post treatment. Paired t-tests were used to test for intragroup differences between the two test intervals. Oneway analysis of variance was performed to determine if statistically significant differences existed among the groups; Tukey and Scheffe multiple range tests were performed to determine which groups were significant different at probability levels of 0.05 and 0.01 respectively. The results showed that mechano-therapy used to bring bilateral maxillary impacted cuspids to proper position resulted in significant increase of angle U6-SN and the upper incisor was refrained from extrusion. There was also evidence of tipping of the occlusal plane demonstrated by the decrease in angle (SN-OP). From the data collected in this study, one can conclude that the dentofacial complex is uniquely influenced by traction mechanics in treatment of bilateral cuspid impaction.

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