Skeletal and dento-alveolar changes as a result of headgear activator therapy related to different vertical growth patterns.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the dental and skeletal effect of the headgear activator according to Van Beek (1981). Special emphasis is put on the changes in vertical position of the incisors after treatment. The material for this study consists of pre- and post-treatment cephalograms of 43 girls and 35 boys with severe Class II malocclusions. Changes due to treatment were compared with two control groups: the series of Riolo et al. (1984), and 50 Austrian children with Class II malocclusions who did not receive treatment during the observation period. The headgear activator was found to be an effective treatment tool in the correction of Class II division 1 malocclusions. The observed skeletal changes were limited to minor growth stimulation of the mandible, while an orthopaedic effect on the maxilla could not be established. The dento-alveolar changes due to headgear activator treatment were most obvious in the upper incisor area resulting in an intrusion and a retroclination of these teeth. Moreover, vertical control of the lower anterior facial height in open bite growth patterns was observed in the sample investigated.