A comparative study of sagittal correction with the Herbst appliance in two different ethnic groups

Abstract

The dentofacial morphology of Chinese is different from Caucasians. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the skeletal and dental changes contributing to the sagittal correction in a group of consecutive Chinese children who were treated with the Herbst appliance. A comparison was made between 14 Chinese and 14 Swedish subjects who all had Herbst appliance treatment. All subjects were corrected from the Class II division 1 malocclusion to an overcorrected Class I or Class III dental relationship within a 6-8 month period. Lateral cephalograms taken before and immediately after the Herbst treatment were analysed. In general, the skeletal and dental changes during treatment were comparable between both ethnic groups. However, individual variations within the two groups were wide. It can be concluded that the Herbst appliance was equally successful in Southern Chinese children and similar treatment changes as those achieved in Swedish children could be found.