Class II malocclusion treated with miniscrew anchorage: Comparison with traditional orthodontic mechanics outcomes

Introduction: Anchorage control in patients with severe skeletal Class II malocclusion is a difficult problem in orthodontic treatment. In adults, treatment often requires premolar extractions and maximum anchorage. Recently, incisor retraction with miniscrew anchorage has become a new strategy for treating skeletal Class II patients. Methods: In this study, we compared treatment outcomes of patients with severe skeletal Class II malocclusion treated using miniscrew anchorage (n = 11) or traditional orthodontic mechanics of headgear and transpalatal arch (n = 11). Pretreatment and posttreatment lateral cephalograms were analyzed. Results: Both treatment methods, miniscrew anchorage or headgear, achieved acceptable results as indicated by the reduction of overjet and the improvement of facial profile. However, incisor retraction with miniscrew anchorage did not require patient cooperation to reinforce the anchorage and provided more significant improvement of the facial profile than traditional anchorage mechanics (headgear combined with transpalatal arch). Conclusions: Orthodontic treatment with miniscrew anchorage is simpler and more useful than that with traditional anchorage mechanics for patients with Class II malocclusion.