Complications, impacts, and success rates of different approaches to treatment of Class II malocclusion in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to explore the prevalence and nature of complications associated with Class II correctors in adolescents and their impact on the quality of life (QOL), completion of treatment, and success rate.

METHODS

The review was registered in PROSPERO, and a comprehensive electronic search was performed without language or date restrictions. Randomized and nonrandomized trials, prospective cohort and cross-sectional studies, case series, and qualitative research were included. The Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale were used to assess the quality of included studies. Data were grouped according to appliances design: removable functional, fixed functional, hybrid functional, headgear, and fixed maxillary molar distalization appliances.

RESULTS

Data from 27 studies were included, of which 11 were deemed eligible for meta-analysis. Overall, 1676 adolescents were included related to fixed functional (n = 682), removable functional (n = 682), hybrid functional (n = 84), headgear (n = 186), and Carriere (n = 42) appliances. The mean number of emergencies was 0.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.1) and 2 (95% CI, 0.9-3.0) for removable and fixed designs, respectively. However, the rate of discontinuation was 35% (95% CI, 0.28-0.42) and just 1% (95% CI, 0.01-0.1) for removable and fixed designs, respectively. Other QOL dimensions such as eating, sleep, speech, and emotional domains were significantly impaired during treatment with removable functional appliances.

CONCLUSIONS

Removable Class II correctors were associated with a high rate of treatment discontinuation, most likely because of the negative impact on QOL and lack of compliance. More complications were observed with fixed designs, although this did not impact the overall success rates. Further prospective studies are needed to explore patient perceptions and cost-effectiveness to inform treatment decisions better.