Change in the vertical dimension of Class II Division 1 patients after use of cervical or high-pull headgear

•Cervical headgear controls the vertical dimension better than high-pull headgear.•Cervical headgear produces more favorable changes in mandibular position.•Cervical headgear and growth produce desirable changes in mandibular position.

IntroductionThe goals of this study were to compare the effects that cervical and high-pull headgear have on the vertical dimensions in Class II Division 1 patients during phase 1 treatment and to compare these effects with untreated predicted growth for the sample population.MethodsPretreatment and posttreatment cephalometric radiographs of children who had undergone Class II Division 1 correction with cervical (n = 22) or high-pull headgear (n = 19) were analyzed for the measurements that describe the changes in the vertical component of growth and mandibular position. The groups were matched for age (mean, 9 ± 2.5 years), treatment time (mean, 14 months), malocclusion, and similar skeletal features. The groups were compared with each other and also with an untreated growth model.ResultsTreatment with cervical headgear resulted in smaller increases in measurements that describe the vertical dimension than with high-pull headgear. Cervical headgear showed more favorable changes in mandibular growth that were statistically significant when compared with the untreated growth models.ConclusionsIn this study, the cervical headgear showed more control over the vertical dimension and produced more favorable changes in mandibular position by normalizing the occlusal plane. Compared with the untreated growth model, cervical headgear worked synergistically with growth to produce more optimal changes in mandibular position.