Class III is perhaps the most challenging case we have in our orthodontic practices. Much is due to their complex nature, with a multifactorial etiology, but with a strong genetic component. The author has extensive experience with handling these cases. The author did his Ph.D. dissertation on exactly Class III genetics, where he sought to identify candidate genes. When putting together the sample to be studied, he observed the great phenotypic variety of this malocclusion. And for that very reason, treatment must also encompass a wide variety of approaches. There is a consensus that the treatment of Class III cases should be started as soon as possible, in the primary or mixed dentition phase. But what about patients who come to the office at a later age? Are there currently treatment modalities that can minimize or even prevent the patient from having to undergo orthognathic surgery at the end of growth? The author intends to show some class III cases that were treated with different approaches, always basing clinical practice on extensive scientific evidence in the literature.
Learning Objectives:
After this lecture, attendees will be able to:
Precociously recognize class III malocclusions and know the best approaches for the deciduous and mixed dentition phases.
Differentiate cases with a good prognosis from those with a poor outcome, based on facial and cephalometric characteristics and family history.
Understand the limitations of traditional protocols involving rapid maxillary expansion and maxillary protraction and will know how to propose alternative approaches that involve skeletal anchorage.
