Orthodontic treatment with growth hormone therapy in a girl of short stature

The purpose of this article is to review the characteristics of craniofacial morphology in children of short stature and the effects of human growth hormone (HGH) therapy on the craniofacial complex. Changes in body height, facial growth, and dental maturity of a 9-year-old girl who received HGH therapy during orthodontic treatment were observed. Orthodontists need to understand the skeletal characteristics of the craniofacial complex of short-stature patients before beginning orthodontic treatment and consider how the differences between chronologic and skeletal ages affect the timing and method of orthodontic treatment. If short-stature children are undergoing HGH therapy, its cranioskeletal effect should be considered; if possible, it is better to delay orthodontic treatment until HGH is finished. However, if orthodontic treatment is performed, the following should be considered: (1) HGH therapy affects the growth of the mandible more than the growth of the maxilla, (2) the amount and pattern of growth during HGH administration are unpredictable, and (3) HGH therapy rarely affects dental maturity.