Class II correction with magnets and superelastic coils followed by straight-wire mechanotherapy. Occlusal changes during and after dental therapy.

The investigation comprised 18 consecutively selected patients, mean age 14.7 years at the start of treatment, with Class II malocclusion, deep overbite and space deficiency in the maxillary arch. The first phase of the treatment consisted of 6 months simultaneous distal movement of maxillary first and second molars with repelling samarium-cobalt magnets on one side and a superelastic nickel-titanium coil on the contralateral side together with an anterior biteplane to achieve bite opening. For the second phase of the treatment, a straight-wire appliance was used for an average treatment time of 1.3 years. Lateral head radiographs and dental casts were available at the start of treatment, after molar distalisation, at the end of treatment and 1 year post-treatment. The treatment resulted mainly in dental changes. The dental Class II molar relation was corrected to Class I by bodily distal movement of maxillary molars and by mesial movement of the mandibular molars. The correction of molar relation was significantly greater on coil sides than on magnet sides, mean 3.4 mm, and 3.0 mm, respectively. Despite anchorage loss associated with the maxillary molar movement, i.e. mesial movement of the maxillary incisors (mean 1.8 mm), the net overjet was reduced, mean 2.5 mm, by the use of Class II elastics. The average net improvement of bite opening was 2.6 mm, mainly due to extrusion of mandibular and maxillary molars. During the 1-year post-treatment period no significant dental or skeletal changes were found. The long-term implications of the treatment results need further consideration.