Evaluation of skeletal and dentoalveolar changes after miniscrew assisted rapid palatal expansion in adults using cone-beam computed tomography

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the facial bone and dentoalveolar changes in young adult patients immediately after miniscrew assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) treatment using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).Experimental group was consisted of 14 adult patients (9 females, 5 males; mean age, 20.1±2.4 years; range, 16-26 years) with maxillary transverse deficiency and treated with MARPE. CBCT images were taken at pre-expansion (T1) and post expansion (T2).1.After expansion (T2), there were statistically significant increases of skeletal and dentoalveolar measurements (zygoma width, nasal width, maxillary width, middle alveolus width, and cervical width) (P<0.05).2.After expansion (T2), there were statistically significant increases in the width of the nasal cavity and basal bone of maxilla (P<0.001). Changes in 1st premolar area were higher than those in 1st molar area in both nasal cavity and basal bone of maxilla.3.After expansion (T2), the amount of transverse changes was decreasing from the molar cervical width (C6-C6) to the zygoma width (Z-Z).4.By MARPE expansion, midpalatal suture was opened in all subjects and expanded significantly combined with forward movement of the maxilla complex (P < 0.05).5. There were significant increases in all transverse landmarks in maxillofacial complex except for spina nasalis. At the level of the alveolar bone crest, there was greater change at the ectomolare than at the ectocanine (P < 0.01).The findings of this study suggested that MARPE is an effective method for correcting the insufficient transverse dimension of the dentition and the maxillary basal bone in young adults. Additional prospective studies with a greater number of subjects and long term stability of MARPE treatment should be followed.