Investigation of craniofacial structures and pharyngeal airway passage in class II patients treated using activator appliance

Aim: We aimed to investigate the changes in maxilla, mandible and airway measurements by comparing the efficacy of treatment in class II cases treated with activator during the pubertal spurt with control group. Material and Method: In this retrospective research; study group included of 30 skeletal class II patients (11 male, 19 female) who were treated with activator appliance, in control group there was 15 class II patients (8 male, 7 female) who were not treated. Lateral cephalograms were taken from study group at pre-treatment (T0) and after-treatment (T1). From control group patients, lateral cephalograms (K0-K1) were taken during examination. Craniofacial and airway passage measurements were performed on the acquired lateral cephalograms. While evaluating the obtained data; Paired t test was used within the group, and student t test was used to evaluate the differences between groups. Results: When we compared treatment and control group; the differences in the ANSMe (p <0.01), N-Me (p <0.01), wits appraisal (p <0.001), Co-A (p <0.001), L1-NB (p <0.01) , overjet (p <0.001), overbite (p <0.001), ANB (p <0.001), PD / MD (p <0.01), NA-Pg (p <0.001), SN / OcP (p <0.001), lower Gonial angle (p <0.05), SNA (p <0.05), AN-Ba (p <0.001), U1 / SN (p <0.001), U1 / NL (p <0.001), interincisal angle (p <0.05), U1-NA (p <0.01), and L1-NB (p < 0.01) were found statistically significant. Conclusion: With the use of activator appliance; there was a decrease in the sagittal development of the maxilla and an increase in the sagittal development of the mandible. When mandibular linear measurements were examined, no significant difference was found between the changes in the treatment and control group. It was observed that the improvement seen in the overjet with the use of activators was mostly dental. No significant difference was found in airway measurements between the two groups.