Dental Arch and Cephalometric Changes Following Treatment for Class III Malocclusion by Means of the Function Regulator (FR-3) Appliance

Abstract

The results of this study confirm a favorable functional and esthetic maxillary and mandibular position following treatment by means of the function regulator (FR-3) appliance.

Effects of the functional regulator III on transversal changes: a postero-anterior cephalometric and model study

“…The present study clearly revealed that buccal shields of FR-3 appliance leaded to an enhanced and supplementary widening of maxillary dental and alveolar structures when compared with those of control group. These findings are in accordance with the studies of Fränkel (1970Fränkel ( , 1974, Fränkel and Fränkel (1989), Owen (1983), Firatli and Ulgen (1996), and Kalavritinos et al (2005) who observed an increase at the maxillary dentoalveolar width. Owen (1983) suggested that function regulator allows a passive expansion of the dental arches.…”

“…Numerous studies have been carried out to evaluate dentoskeletal and soft tissue changes in sagittal direction, and a great number of them supported the idea that the FR-3 appliance therapy produced a favourable growth effect on the maxilla and surrounding soft tissue structures (Fränkel, 1970;McNamara and Huge, 1985;Kohmura et al,1986;Aytan et al, 1989;Isiksal and Seckin, 1990;Miethke et al, 2003;Falck and Zimmermann-Menzel, 2008;Levin et al, 2008;Kilic et al, 2010). However, the studies on transversal dentoalveolar changes are limited in number, and according to their findings, favourable dentoalveolar effects can be obtained with the FR-3 appliance therapy (Firatli and Ulgen, 1996;Miethke et al, 2003;Kalavritinos et al, 2005). Fränkel (1970), Fränkel (1989), andMcNamara (2002) explained that early treatment with FR-3 appliance offers some opportunities including normal displacement of teeth and facial bones and space gaining in dental arches.…”

“…It has been stated by Fränkel (1970), Fränkel and Fränkel (1989), and McNamara (2002) that early treatment with FR-3 appliance offers some opportunities including normal displacement of teeth and facial bones and space gaining in dental arches. Most of the studies (Loh and Kerr, 1985;Ülgen and Firatli, 1994;Baik et al, 2004;Kalavritinos et al, 2005;Levin et al 2008) on this subject evaluated the Effects of the functional regulator III on transversal changes: a postero-anterior cephalometric and model study Nihat Kilic*, Mevlüt Celikoglu* and Hüsamettin Oktay** sagittal and vertical effects of the FR-3 appliance. Only a limited number of studies investigated the transversal dentoalveolar changes and demonstrated favourable maxillary dentoalveolar effects produced by FR-3 (Firatli and Ulgen, 1996;Miethke et al, 2003;Kalavritinos et al, 2005).…”

Cephalometric Changes in the Treatment of Class III Using the Fränkel Appliance*

“…They observed forward movement of the maxillary dentition in all three patients and as Loh & Kerr [26] also reported, a redirection of mandibular growth in a vertical direction. An appreciable effect on maxillary skeletal structures has not been observed so far [22,23,35].…”

“…Fränkel [10] [26] berichtet, zu einer Ablenkung des mandibulären Wachstums in vertikale Richtung. Ein bemerkenswerter Effekt auf maxilläre skelettale Strukturen konnte nicht nachgewiesen werden [22,23,35].…”