Craniomaxillary Orthopedic Correction with En Masse Dental Control

Craniomaxillary (high-pull) traction is a well-established part of today's orthodontic armamentarium. It is useful in a wide range of problems involving excessive anterior and/or downward displacement of one or more components of the maxillary complex. Such growth-related problems are most amenable to correction during the active growing period; in fact, optimum improvement is often attainable only during this period. Attachment of these devices by means of cemented orthodontic appliances is limited in some developmental stages by the teeth available for banding. It is limited at all ages by the tolerance of the periodontal ligament of the attachment teeth. In terms of over-all maxillary change, the locations of the banded teeth further restrict the orientation and application of therapeutic forces. A rigid splint precisely engaging all or part of the upper dentition expands the potential applications of this form of traction in terms of age range, force levels, and force orientation. This is basically an orthopedic applicance with concurrent orthodontic effects. In contrast to the gross destructive effects experienced in early applications of the Milwaukee brace, the application of force with this appliance can be planned to redirect maxillary growth and occlusal relationships from often progressively dysplastic patterns to a more harmonious over-all functional relationship among all facial structures. The resultant interplay of orthopedic and orthodontic effects makes close orthodontic supervision and care essential throughout the treatment and post-treatment periods. This is especially important because some of the orthodontic side effects may be unfavorable. Failure to anticipate and plan for control of these effects could be disastrous. Occasions for its use as the sole therapeutic measure are rare. The nature of treatment with this appliance is such that in most cases it must be used as a discrete stage of a comprehensive treatment plan, either before or after other orthodontic measures or both. It is poorly suited to simultaneous combination with other orthodontic appliances operating on the same teeth. Its value lies in careful coordination with the other phases, using each where and when it will be most effective. The cases reported here illustrate only the changes accomplished during such isolated treatment stages; they do not represent the total orthodontic effort required for these patients.