Thesis (M.Sc.D.)--Boston University School of Graduate Dentistry, 1972 (Orthodontics)Bibliography included.The present study was undertaken to compare the efficiency of three different biomechanical mechanisms in preserving mandibular molar anchorage.
Thirty-five patients were treated with intercanine coil, lip
bumper, 9r mandibular cervical traction through the end of cuspid
retraction. Midtreatment cephalograms were then taken. Superimposition
of these midtreatment cepbalograms with the pretreatment
cephalograms provided the author with the net mesial or distal
movement of the mandibular first molar in each case. The data
obtained from each case was accordingly placed in the appropriate
biomechanical group. Each group was then statistically related to
one another by means of the Mann-Whitney U Test. It was found that
a stastically significant difference existed between lower cervical
traction and the intercanine coil. The confidence level
obtained (P < .02) indicated that less than two cases out of a
hundred had a chance of coming from the same population.
This data also showed a mean increase in mandibular anchorage
with lower cervical traction ( +.062 mm. gained) indicating that there may be very good possibilities for this system to be used in orthodontic cases when anchorage is of a critical nature