Effect of functional appliance therapy on the quality of life in skeletal Class II malocclusion

Introduction: A Class II malocclusion is a common orthodontic problem that may affect social acceptance and the self-esteem of the patient. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of functional appliance therapy on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) of patients presenting with a skeletal Class II malocclusion due to mandibular deficiency. Methods: Forty-nine patients (11 to 14 years old) with a Class II malocclusion due to mandibular deficiency were included as the experimental group. A control group of 49 subjects was selected from school children without malocclusion. The Child Oral Impact on Daily Performance (Child-OI DP) index was administered, repeated and differences were evaluated following functional therapy using the Clark Twin Block appliance. Results: At baseline, the most common oral impact on daily performance in the experimental group was emotional stability (35 patients, 71.4%) and smiling without shame (34 patients, 69.4%), which respectively decreased to 12.2% (six cases) and 20.4% (10 cases) after functional therapy. The mean (+/- SD) of the Chil d-OI DP Overall Impact score in the experimental group at baseline was 25.94 (+/- 17.84), which significantly decreased to 2.77 (+/- 2.09) after therapy (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Functional therapy using the Clark Twin Block appliance had a significant effect in improving OHRQOL of children presenting with mandibular deficiency.