A comparative assessment of changes in dental arches associated with different activation protocols of rapid maxillary expansion

Authors

  • A Baldini Dental School, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan
  • A Nota Dental School, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan
  • C Santariello Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata
  • V Assi Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit (ECTU), University of Edinburgh
  • F Ballanti Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata
  • P Cozza Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23804/ejpd.2018.19.01.06

Keywords:

maxillary expansion, palatal expansion, dental arches, orthodontics, orthodontic appliances

Abstract

AIM: The aim of this study is to compare dental arch changes associated with different activation protocols of maxillary expander. METHODS: A sample of 101 subjects with constricted maxillary arches (49 males and 52 females; mean age 10.96 ± 1.91 years) was enrolled in the study. All subjects underwent RME with a stainless steel banded expander cemented to the maxillary first molars and the expansion screw was randomly activated with two different rapid maxillary expansion protocols (one-quarter per day or two quarters per day). The study also involved a control group of 22 subjects (10 females and 12 males, mean age 10.39 ± 1.32 years) who underwent no treatment. A statistical comparison between the dental arch measures obtained before and after treatment in the two groups was performed.