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

Abstract 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-OIDP) 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 Child-OIDP 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.