Diagnosis and interceptive therapy of third classes in developmental age

OBJECTIVES Provide guidelines for differential diagnosis and interceptive therapy of Classes III in developmental age. MATERIALS AND METHODS This work, as well as the presentation of the various classifications and clinical and etiopathogenetic characteristics of progeny, has the aim of analyzing the diagnostic and prognostic problems, reporting the possibility of forecasting the model and the quantity of growth of the related facial structures, in a way to establish the effectiveness of treat-ment in pediatric age and the sub-sequent eventuality of a definitive surgical therapy in adulthood. RESULTS The objectives of early therapy in Class III patients are related to the need to re-establish, in a short time, a correct occlusal and functional relationship, and a harmonious balance between hard and soft tissues; treatment prognosis is often reserved because it is strictly dependent on genetic fac-tors such as the direction and ex-tent of mandibular growth. The most recent scientific literature demonstrates how orthopedic therapy represents the gold standard in Classes III of a skeletal nature. CONCLUSIONS Interceptive orthodontic therapy is considered an early therapy in children for prevention purposes. An early intervention, in fact, can immediately eliminate an occlusal problem to favor a harmonious development of the dental arches. A therapy conducted in the prepu-bertal period allows to obtain the best and most stable results in the developmental age.