Treatment of skeletal class III malocclusion using a combined clear aligner and surgery-early approach

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.