Treatment of skeletal class III malocclusion using a combined clear aligner and surgery-early approach : Assessment based on the American Board of Orthodontics Objective Grading System.

Purpose: To evaluate whether clear aligner therapy (CAT) combined with a surgery-early approach can achieve good therapeutic effects in patients with skeletal class III malocclusion.

Methods: Thirty consecutive skeletal class III malocclusion cases treated with clear aligners combined with early surgery were selected. Treatment time, lateral cephalograms and American Board of Orthodontics Objective Grading System (ABO-OGS) scores of the treatment models were measured to evaluate the treatment efficiency, facial profile, and occlusion.

Results: The results showed that early surgery was achieved after 7.71 months of presurgical orthodontics, on average. ANB decreased by 5.57° (P < 0.001), and STissue N Vert to Pog' decreased by 7.29 mm (P = 0.001), both reaching normal values. The posttreatment ABO-OGS scores were 26.600 on average, meeting its standards.

Conclusions: With the assistance of CAT, early surgery can be accomplished in patients with skeletal class III malocclusion, improving their facial profile and achieving functional occlusion.