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Effect of skeletal miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion on root resorption, buccal bone thickness and tooth
Objectives:
To evaluate the effect of miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) on root resorption, buccal bone thickness, and tooth inclination.
Materials And Methods:
This study included 30 patients with maxillary constriction who were treated with MARPE. The device was left in place for 6 months for retention. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were taken before treatment and after 6 months. CBCT images were analyzed for root length, buccal bone thickness, and tooth inclination for premolars and first molar on both sides. A paired t-test was used to compare between pretreatment and posttreatment root lengths, buccal bone thickness, and buccal tooth inclination.
Results:
No significant differences were found between pretreatment and posttreatment root lengths of all measured teeth (P value > .05). A significant difference was found in the buccal bone thickness at the right second premolar at the levels of 2 mm and 8 mm (P = .049 and P = .039, respectively) and at the level of 2 mm for the left second premolar (P = .009). Buccal bone thickness at the right and left mesiobuccal root of the first molar at 8 mm was significantly reduced after expansion (P = .001). The difference between pre-expansion and postexpansion in tooth inclination ranged between -1.87 and 0.27. Only the inclination of the left first molar was significantly increased after expansion.
Conclusions:
No root resorption was caused by the bone-borne MARPE. No change in buccal bone thickness and inclination of most of the posterior maxillary teeth was found.
