Distal molar movement using the pendulum appliance. Part 1: Clinical and radiological evaluation.

Intra-arch distal molar movement techniques have recently assumed an important role in clinical orthodontics. In this study, the dental and skeletal effects of the pendulum appliance, applying 200 to 250 g of force to the molars in 13 patients (age range 8 years to 13 years 5 months) were evaluated by means of cephalometric radiographs. The results showed that the pendulum appliance moved the molars distally without creating dental or skeletal bite opening and with little incisor anchorage loss. However, important molar tipping should be taken into consideration when using this appliance.