Research on the clinical aspect of Angle Class II/1 malocclusions (accompanied by the bad habit of sucking the thumb)

Sucking the thumb is considered an inborn reflex. However, after the age of four (in case of emotional instability and anxiety) this reflex becomes a bad habit. This vicious habit is one of the most important etiological factors which determine the Angle Class II/1 malocclusion. The research relied on the analysis of the photos of schoolchildren aged 6 to 14 who admitted the persistence of this bad habit and also had Angle Class II/1 malocclusions. We analysed the photos of the face and of the exobuccal and endobuccal profiles. We have chosen two cases from the researched group to highlight the clinical aspects of Angle Class II/1 malocclusions. The patients maintained the bad habit of sucking the thumb which, accompanied by other etiological factors, led to a skeletal disequilibrium. Thus, many modifications may appear such as: upper jaw prognathism and lower jaw retrognathism with a sagittal inocclusion as well as changes of the physiognomy specific to Angle Class II/1 malocclusions. In the case of Angle Class II/1 malocclusions, the coexistence of hereditary and functional pathologic factors generally leads to skeletal and neuro-muscular modifications with aesthetic repercussions.