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Effects of rapid maxillary expansion or alternating rapid maxillary expansion and constriction on nasal mucociliary
Zeynep Çoban Büyükbayraktar1, Cenk Doruk2, Mansur Doğan3
1Department of Orthodontics, Sivas Cumhuriyet University School of Dentistry, Sivas, Turkey. dtzeynepcoban@gmail.com.
Purpose:
This parallel trial aimed to evaluate the changes in nasal mucociliary clearance (MCC) after a rapid maxillary expansion (RME) protocol or an alternating rapid maxillary expansion and constriction (Alt-RAMEC) protocol in orthodontic patients.
Methods:
This trial included 36 patients with a mean age of 14.38 years, with a narrow maxillary arch, bilateral posterior crossbite, no narrowing of the mandibular arch, no previous orthodontic treatment, and no nasal or systemic disease. Patients were randomly distributed into two groups (n = 18 each)-one group was treated with the RME protocol and the other group was treated with the Alt-RAMEC protocol. MCC was evaluated using the saccharine transit time (STT) test, which was measured for each individual before expansion (T0), after expansion (T1), and after a 4-month retention phase (T2). The study was single blinded, and blinding was applied only to the outcome assessor. The primary objective was to evaluate the effect of the Alt-RAMEC and RME protocols on MCC. The secondary objective was to determine the relationship between age, sex, and MCC. The χ 2 test and independent samples t‑test were used to evaluate the data.
Results:
The STT decreased after expansion and retention in the RME group. In the Alt-RAMEC group, the STT decreased after expansion and slightly increased after retention. When the RME and Alt-RAMEC groups were compared, the STT showed a significant difference after expansion and retention (p < 0.05). No significant relationship was observed between age and sex and STT (p > 0.05).
Conclusion:
This study demonstrated that the Alt-RAMEC protocol improved MCC and had a positive effect on nasal physiology by increasing the nasal volume more than that achieved by RME.
