2022, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (32): 5229-5235

Growth and development characteristics of dental and basal arch in children with skeletal class III malocclusion

Gao Liping1, Tang Li1, Wan Lu1, Liu Yan1, Li Xiaobing2, Zhong Wenyi1   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: At present, the diagnosis and treatment of skeletal class III malocclusion are challenging, mainly because of the diversity and unpredictability of craniofacial structure growth in such patients. Treatment decisions and their success or failure much depend on the future growth potential of patients with skeletal class III malocclusion.
OBJECTIVE: To review the research progress in growth and development of dental and basal arch in children with skeletal class III malocclusion.
METHODS: Literature retrieval was conducted in PubMed, CNKI, WanFang, and Medline using the keywords of “malocclusion; skeletal class III malocclusion; dental arch; basal arch; growth and development; mixed dentition; tongue; etiology; jaw” in English and Chinese, and studies and experiments of low quality and irrelevant to the topic were excluded. Finally, 64 articles were included for careful reading and analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Skeletal class III malocclusion is a common malocclusion type in children with abnormal occlusal development, and the jaw, dental arch, and basal arch are also affected by genetic factors to a certain extent. As special craniomaxillofacial complexes, the jawbone, dental arch and basal arch have the same growth trend and there was a synergistic effect between them. In children with skeletal class III malocclusion, the growth rate of the maxilla and mandible is related to age and bone age, and the growth rate of the jaw bone length varies at different growth peaks until adulthood. It is particularly important to correctly predict the peak growth period and inhibit the growth and development of the mandible in children with skeletal class III malocclusion. Due to the complexity of its treatment, timely detection of abnormal development of the upper and lower jaws, teeth, dentition and occlusal relationship, correct diagnosis, early correction, and timely intervention are of great significance to guide the normal growth and development of the craniomaxillofacial region. However, the current research on the growth and development of the dental arch and basal bone arch in children mainly focuses on the normal occlusion, because the growth and development characteristics of children with skeletal class III malocclusion cannot be observed once treatment is started. Therefore, further studies are required on the growth and development mechanism of skeletal class III malocclusion.
Key words: malocclusion, skeletal class III malocclusion, dental arch, basal arch, growth and development, mixed dentition, tongue, etiology, jaw, review