| Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate dental and/or skeletal changes following orthodontic treatment with Damon self-ligating (SL) brackets in non-extraction patients.;Results. Distance between roots of upper molars increased 4.59 mm in Damon group compared with 0.8 mm in the Control group (P <0.001). Distance between roots of lower canines increased 3.49 mm in Damon group, whereas it decreased by 0.01 mm in the control group (P = 0.001). Changes of other transverse dimensions, were not significantly different between the two groups (P >0.01). Damon treatment resulted in statistically greater proclination of lower incisors and lingual root torque of upper incisors (P<0.05). In Damon group, interjugular distance increased, whereas angles made between first molars and Crista Galli-A point line decreased, but their changes were not statistically significantly different compared to the control group (P>0.05).;Conclusion. Transverse changes in distances between crowns of upper and lower first molars and canines in patients treated with Damon SL system were similar to those of untreated individuals. However, changes of upper intermolar distances (roots) and lower intercanine distances (roots) were larger in Damon patients. Lingual root torque of upper incisors and proclination of lower incisors were larger in the Damon treated group. Damon treatment did not result in buccal tipping of molar crowns or maxillary base width increase. Overall, teeth alignment with Damon system appears to be accomplished with a combination of arch width changes and incisor proclination and/or lingual root torque.;Methods. Frontal and lateral cephalomteric radiographs of 20 patients before and after non-extraction treatment with Damon SL brackets were analyzed in a three-dimensional (3D) analysis computer software program (3DCeph, UIC, IL., USA). Bolton templates, which were used as controls, were also analyzed in 3DCeph. Changes of upper and lower intermolar and intercanine distances (both crowns and roots), incisor positions and maxillary basal bone width of subjects treated with Damon SL brackets were compared to corresponding untreated controls. Comparisons between the two groups were made with Nonparametric (Mann-Whitney U) test. |
