COLUMN HOW TO DO IT: Thurow maxillary splint headgear: indication, production and a case report

Vol. 13 – Number 50 – 2020 How to Column Page 21-35 Thurow maxillary splint headgear: indication, production and a case report Diego Junior da Silva Santos¹ José Augusto Mendes Miguel² Abstract Maxillary splint headgear is indicated for class II malocclusion treatment. The maxillary splint designed by Thurow is an easy-to-make, low-cost, and easy-to-use appliance that allows individualization and simple adjustments. This paper aims to guide the step-by-step of maxillary splint production. Furthermore, the authors present a case report of a 12 years and 11 months old male and Caucasian patient at prepubertal growth spurt stage, with skeletal and dental class II division 1 malocclusion, increased overbite and overjet, and labial incompetence. The patient was treated in two phases. The first phase, lasted 16 months and comprised the use of acrylic maxillary splints headgear with an anterior block bite for mandibular advancement. The second phase consisted of fixed orthodontics. Total treatment time was 40 months. All treatment objectives were reached. The treatment achieved normal overbite and overjet, class I Angle occlusion and lip competence. The protrusion of the upper incisors was addressed since the beginning of the treatment. It could not be corrected from the start if the treatment’s first phase consisted of the use of extrabucal headgear inserted in welded tubes of the upper first molar bands. Thus, the patient had satisfactory motivation and compliance with Thurow maxillary splint use, and the second phase of the treatment with brackets and archwires was . Descriptors: Angle class II, extraoral traction appliance, dental overjet. ¹ PhD in Dentistry – area of ​​concentration in Orthodontics – UERJ, Master in Dentistry – area of ​​concentration in Orthodontics – UERJ. ² Specialist in Orthodontics – UERJ, Master of Dentistry – UERJ, Doctor of Dentistry – UFRJ, Associate Professor of the discipline of Orthodontics – UERJ.