[Improving the effectiveness of functional jaw orthopedics in Class II malocclusion by appropriate treatment timing].

Time can be considered the fourth dimension in dento-facial orthopedics. Treatment timing can play a significant role in the outcomes of treatment aimed to produce an orthopedic effect in the craniofacial structures. The results of methodologically-sound cephalometric studies of both the past and the recent history of orthodontics clearly indicate that optimal treatment timing for Class II skeletal disharmony with a functional appliance (e.g. twin block) is during or slightly after the peak in mandibular growth as revealed by a reliable biologic indicator of individual skeletal maturity such as the cervical vertebral maturation method. © EDP Sciences, SFODF, 2010.