Abstract

This research was performed to determine if bony changes could be effected by activator treatment and how stable this treatment is.

From a sample of twenty-seven cases with before activator treatment cephalometric radiographs. Rocky Mountain Data Systems provided growth projections, with and without edgewise treatment, for the period of time each patient was in treatment. These forecasts were compared to the post-treatment cephalograms to analyze the orthopedic effects of activator treatment with normal growth and with edgewise therapy.

Nine of the twenty-seven case treated sample responded to recall for post-treatment cephalograms and were analyzed for relapse.

It was apparent that a significant increase in mandibular growth can be achieved with activator treatment over that which is expected in normal growth, with or without edgewise treatment. This growth is mostly in a vertical vector with the mandible descending primarily down the facial plane. Importantly, there is no adverse rotation of the mandible and this increased growth is primarily in the condyle and ramus. The condyle is not displaced out of the fossa with activator treatment.

Activators apparently have no significant inhibitory effect on the growth of the maxilla.

The stability of activator treatment was demonstrated by the observation that there was no significant relapse with the recall sample.

Although there is no substantial horizontal improvement with activators, the strong vertical improvement gives the visual effect of more chin. The esthetic facial improvement noted with activators is really the development of the lower face.

With activators as an auxiliary appliance, the orthodontist can reasonably expect to augment growth in a deficient mandible case, providing an improvement in facial appearance that cannot be achieved otherwise.

LLU Discipline

Orthodontics

Department

Dentistry

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

John K. Pearson

Second Advisor

James R. Wise

Third Advisor

Robert J. Schulhof

Fourth Advisor

Arthur J. Morgan

Fifth Advisor

Ray M. Hymer

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1976

Date (Title Page)

4-1976

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Orthodontic Appliances, Removable

Type

Thesis

Page Count

viii; 41

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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