Comparative clinical study of effects of cervical headgear and pendulum appliance
Аннотация
Background: Class II malocclusion is one of the most common orthodontic problems and often requires maxillary molar distalization as part of the treatment approach. Various orthodontic appliances have been developed to achieve this objective, including extraoral appliances such as cervical headgear and intraoral appliances like the pendulum appliance. Each appliance has its own advantages and limitations related to treatment efficiency, anchorage control, and patient compliance. Aim: To compare the clinical effectiveness of cervical headgear and pendulum appliance in achieving maxillary molar distalization in patients with Class II malocclusion. Materials and Methods: This prospective comparative clinical study included 100 patients aged 11–16 years diagnosed with Class II malocclusion requiring maxillary molar distalization. The participants were randomly divided into two groups of 50 each. Group I was treated using cervical headgear, while Group II received treatment with a pendulum appliance. Clinical and cephalometric evaluations were performed before treatment and after completion of molar distalization. Parameters assessed included amount of molar distalization, anchorage loss, treatment duration, and changes in overjet and overbite. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA software, and significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The pendulum appliance produced significantly greater molar distalization (4.5 ± 0.9 mm) compared to cervical headgear (3.1 ± 0.8 mm). Treatment duration was shorter in the pendulum group, while anchorage loss was significantly higher compared to the headgear group. Both appliances showed improvement in overjet and overbite, with no statistically significant difference between groups. Conclusion: Both cervical headgear and pendulum appliances are effective for maxillary molar distalization. The pendulum appliance provides faster distalization but with greater anchorage loss, whereas cervical headgear offers better anchorage control but requires greater patient compliance.