Fixed functional appliances--trends for the next century

All Class II malocclusions present a challenge to the dentist. The degree of difficulty for Class II treatment depends on the accompanying disorder. Early treatment for Class II malocclusion is frequently undertaken with the objective of correcting skeletal disproportion by altering the growth pattern. From the experience gained after many years of using different techniques, a simplified approach to the best treatments will be presented. In addition to giving the patient the best treatment possible, the procedure adopted needs to be as easy as possible for all parties involved, including the patient. This approach not only gives the person undergoing treatment the best results, but also keeps patients happy, which is satisfying for everyone. A number of fixed appliances have gained popularity in recent years due to the better results achieved on non-compliant patients. The author clinically tested all the available fixed functional appliances (more than 15) over a period of ten years. This evaluation enabled him to assess the advantages of each appliance and to merge them into a single appliance--The Ritto Appliance. It can be described as a miniaturised telescopic device.