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Published on: October 20, 2023
A multicenter, prospective, randomized trial of pain and discomfort during maxillary expansion: Leaf expander versus
Alessandro Ugolini1, Gianguido Cossellu2, Marco Farronato2
1Department of Surgical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
Background:
Pain suffered by the young patient is the most frequent symptom during orthodontic treatment and is the one that most frightens children and causes worry in their families.
Aim:
To investigate pain perception and function impairment during the first week of activation of two palatal expansion screws.
Design:
A total of 101 subjects were randomly divided into two groups: RME group included patients treated with the standard hyrax expansion screw and LEAF group included patients treated with Leaf Expander appliance. Pain intensity was assessed via the Wong-Baker scale. A questionnaire on oral function impairments was also compiled by the patients.
Results:
The Pain Scale analysis showed that patients in the RME group suffered from a significantly higher level of pain than those in the LEAF group (88.6% vs 25%, P < .01). RME group showed highest pain indexes from day 1 to day 4 (51.4% RME vs 9.7% LEAF suffered at least once from strong pain in the first 4 days, P < .01). Furthermore, oral functions were similarly affected in both groups.
Conclusions:
Pain reported during maxillary arch expansion is influenced by clinical activation protocol and by the screw type. Patients treated with Leaf Expander reported significantly lower pain level in the first 7 days of treatment.
