Maxillary protraction plus fixed appliance versus fixed appliance alone in class III patients in the mixed dentition stage

Objective To compare the effectiveness of maxillary protraction plus fixed appliance and fixed appliance in class Ⅲ patients in the mixed dentition stage. Methods 27 class Ⅲ patients with maxillary deficiency were assigned to receive maxillary protraction plus fixed appliance (n=12), or fixed appliance alone (n=17). Pre-and post-treatment lateral cephalograms were performed in each group and the values of cephalometric measurements were analyzed by two-samples t-test. Results Maxillary protraction plus fixed appliance was superior to fixed appliance alone in improving malocclusion, with a more distinct growth of the maxilla. There was no significant difference in changes in teeth between the two groups. Conclusion Maxillary protraction plus fixed appliance is more helpful in improving malocclusion in class Ⅲ patients with maxillary deficiency.