Skeletal, dental, and functional effects of headgear-activator therapy on Class II malocclusion in Japanese: a clinical case report.

Ten orthodontic patients in whom a headgear-activator appliance was used in the first phase of treatment for Class II malocclusion were clinically evaluated. All patients had abnormal perioral muscle function at the initial examination. Myofunctional methods were used before and during active treatment. Pretreatment and posttreatment cephalometric tracings were evaluated to examine the effect of the appliance on dental, skeletal, and soft tissue structures. Five of the 10 cases illustrated distal movement of the lower first molar, a phenomenon not mentioned previously in the literature. Growth stimulation of the mandible was also observed in this patient sample, with some subjects demonstrating above-average mandibular growth when compared with a control group of normal subjects. Abnormal oral function was eliminated, and all patients had clinically acceptable results at the end of the treatment period. The headgear-activator appliance can be considered an effective tool for the control of vertical growth problems in growing mixed-dentition patients.