Long-Term Soft Tissue Profile and Incisor Angulation of Class I and II Cases Treated By Tandem Mechanics

Purpose: This is a retrospective study to evaluate initial (T1), final (T2) and long-term follow-up (T3) lateral cephalograms and dental study models of 42 growing patients that received orthodontic treatment using Tandem Mechanics. The objectives were to evaluate the soft tissue profile and incisor angulation changes of Class I and Class II children treated with this nonextraction modality and to compare the changes to age-matched and malocclusion-matched control groups. Methods: The soft tissue profile and incisor angulation measurements were recorded for each time point as well as molar classification and lower incisor crowding. Results: The results showed that the soft tissue profile of Tandem-treated Class I patients were not statistically different from untreated control groups. The soft tissue profile of Tandem-treated Class II cases were significantly improved at T2 and T3 and were straighter than the untreated Class II controls at T2. Comparison between treated and untreated Class II cases at T3 was not possible due to unavailability of untreated Class II cases at T3. Crowding was resolved in both Classes without proclining the incisors. Conclusion: Tandem Mechanics can be a valuable nonextraction treatment option for Class I and II cases with mild to moderate crowding. IRB # 2013-1169.