Anchorage Assessment Using Mini Implants and Lingual Button

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare cephalometrically the loss of anchorage after initial retraction of canines using two anchorage systems.

Methods: The treatment was performed in 12 patients with anterior-superior crowding, and needing extractions of the first premolars and anterior retraction. The patients were divided into 2 groups of six (A and B). The patients of Group A used the Edgewise fixed appliance associated with mini-implants as upper anchorage and lower lingual arch. In group B, the patients used the Edgewise fixed appliance with a lingual button and lower lingual arch. The teleradiographies were traced at two times: T1 (initial treatment) and T2 (after initial canine retraction). We adopted an analysis system of responses to the treatment, in coordinates, representing the dental and bone basic movements, divided into their horizontal and vertical vectors based on the overlap technique of the cephalometric tracing originally developed by Björk and Skieller.

Results: The cephalometric differences between the two tracings of the different groups were compared and submitted to statistical analysis by Tukey's test (p < 0.05), with no statistically significant difference between groups A and B (p = 0.02295).

Conclusions: We concluded that the treatment with mini-implants presented no statistically significant difference in the loss of anchorage in the group treated with a lingual button. This study was supported by FAPESP - 07/54311-6.