Short-term skeletal and dental changes following bone-borne versus tooth-borne surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion: a randomized clinical trial study.

AIM: To evaluate and compare the short-term (post-retention) skeletal and dental changes following bone-borne and tooth-borne surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME) using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this randomized clinical study, 30 patients with transverse maxillary deficiency underwent either tooth-borne (n = 15) or bone-borne (n = 15) SARME. Before treatment and immediately after the consolidation period, CBCT was obtained and the nasal floor width, interdental root distance, palatal bone width and interdental cusp distance were measured at first premolar and first molar regions of maxilla.

RESULTS: Twenty eight patients completed the study protocol. In both tooth-borne (n = 13) and bone-borne (n = 15) groups the highest degree of expansion occurred in the dental arch, followed by palatal bone, and nasal floor (V-shaped widening in coronal dimension). The amount and pattern of expansion was comparable between anterior and posterior maxillary regions in each group (parallel posteroanterior expansion) and between the two groups.

CONCLUSION: Dental and skeletal effects of tooth-borne and bone-borne devices were comparable. The overall complication rate was negligible. Selection of an expansion device should be based on each individual patient's requirements. Future long-term clinical trial studies to evaluate the stability and relapse of these two techniques are recommended.