A prospective clinical trial of the effects produced by the Connecticut intrusion arch on the maxillary dental arch.

OBJECTIVE

To assess and compare the effects produced in the maxillary dental arch by means of Connecticut intrusion arch (CIA) with or without a cinch back on the distal end of the tube of the first molars.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study included 44 patients with a mean age of 13.1 ± 1.8 years treated for deep bite with a CIA randomly divided into two groups: group 1 (G1), 22 patients with initial mean age of 12.72 ± 1.74 years treated with the CIA in the upper arch without a cinch back on the distal surface of the tube of the first molars, and group 2 (G2), 22 patients with an initial mean age of 13.67 ± 2.03 years treated with the CIA with a cinch back. Lateral cephalograms were available before treatment (T1) and after intrusion of maxillary incisors (T2). The mean treatment period was 5.5 ± 1.45 months. Intragroup and intergroup changes in the maxillary incisor and molar positions were analyzed by paired and independent t-tests associated with the Holm-Bonferroni correction method for multiple comparisons (P < .05).

RESULTS

There were significant differences between groups in terms of maxillary incisor displacement. The maxillary incisors flared labially (2.17°) and proclined (1.68 mm) in group 1, whereas a palatal inclination (-1.99°) and retroclination (-1.13 mm) was observed in group 2. No significant differences were found for the molar positions between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence or absence of a distal bend in CIA affects incisor tipping and proclination during intrusion mechanics.