A longitudinal evaluation of extraction versus nonextraction treatment with special reference to the posttreatment irregularity of the lower incisors.

A tendency exists in contemporary orthodontics to pursue a completely non-extraction philosophy. Moreover, it has been shown that the extraction versus non-extraction debate is still with us. Controversy exists as to which treatment decision will eventually lead to orthodontic stability. It is thus imperative to conduct investigations on long-term changes of the dentition in both treatment regimens. The present study serves as an example of such a longitudinal study. A random sample, inclusive of both extraction and non-extraction treatments, was examined with respect to long-term stability and an assessment was made as to whether one treatment option favors success over the other. It was concluded that the correct initial treatment choice will not only lead to correction of the malocclusion, but will also ensure clinically acceptable stability with no significant differences between extraction and non-extraction treatments.