Dento- facial appearance plays an important role in establishing a person's attractiveness and these beliefs, although predictably widespread in the world of adults, are equally valid in the world of children, who are very attentive to their own physical characteristics and those of their peers. An early correction of the severity of all malocclusions will guarantee an improvement in appearance, physical image, approval and individual social interaction, all important factors in the years of relational growth of the child. Among all the malocclusions, there are some in which aesthetics are most penalized, in particular the presence of growth and/or exchange anomalies capable of altering the facial proportions both vertically and sagittally and consequently the smile. Class II dentoskeletal disharmonies associated with mandibular retrusion is one of the problems that most have aesthetic implications, Functional jaw orthopedics is a specific type of treatment for these malocclusions. A significant supplementary elongation of the mandible can be achieved only when FJO is performed at pubertal or immediately postpubertal periods of skeletal development


Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you will be able to recognize a Class II malocclusion from mandibular retrusion and define its structural components
After this lecture, you will be able to propose a therapeutic process that follows and correctly directs craniofacial growth following the basic principles of functional therapy
After this lecture, you will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment in the long term, ensuring the stability of the treated cases