Evaluation and comparison of root resorption resulting from traditional and bone-borne rapid maxillary expansion appliances using cone-beam computed tomography

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the resorptions of the roots of the maxillary posterior teeth after traditional rapid maxillary expansion (TRME) therapy and bone-borne rapid maxillary expansion (BBRME) appliances and to compare the findings obtained using the two appliances.

Materials and Methods: The study enrolled 40 patients treated at the orthodontics clinic. These patients were divided into the TRME group (13.4 +/- 1.2 years old, n=20) and BBRME group (13.2 +/- 1.3 years old, n=20) according to the appliance used. Cone-beam computed tomography images taken before the treatment (TO) and after a 3-month retention period (T1) was transferred to an image-processing software. Volumetric measurements of the teeth were made after the segmentation procedure, and volumetric changes before and after treatments were analysed statistically. Paired-sample t-test was used for the intra-group comparison, and independent-sample t-test was used for the inter-group comparison.

Results: In both groups, the amount of resorption in all teeth that occurred between TO and T1, was statistically significant (p<0.001). In the TRME group, the highest resorption was measured in the 1st molars (79.65 mm(3)), and the lowest resorption was measured in the 2nd premolars (33.38 mm 3 ). In the BBRME group, the highest resorption was measured in the 1st molars (46.74 mm 3 ), and the lowest resorption was measured in the 1st premolars (21.61 mm(3)). In the comparison of root resorptions that occurred between T0 and T1 in the two groups, analysis results showed that the BBRME group demonstrated lower root resorption (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The results suggest that BBRME causes less root resorption than TRME.