Buccal Bone Changes Around First Permanent Molars and Second Primary Molars after Maxillary Expansion with a Low Compliance Ni–Ti Leaf Spring Expander

Abstract

Background: Vestibular bone thickness changes and dento-alveolar buccal tipping of second primary molars and of first molars after maxillary expansion performed with a slow maxillary expansion protocol was investigated. Methods: Twenty patients (mean age 7.3 ± 0.9 years old; 9 male and 11 female) were treated according to the Leaf Expander protocol. Buccal alveolar bone thickness (BT), buccal alveolar bone height (BH), inter-dental angle (TIP), and inter-molar width (IW) regarding first molars and second primary molars were calculated before and after expansion on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were used to assess changes between the pre-treatment and post-treatment measurements. Results: Bone thickness vestibular to second primary molars and intermolar width of both teeth were the only variables that showed statistically significant changes. Conclusions: It appears that buccal bone thickness vestibular to first molars was not significantly reduced after maxillary expansion with the Leaf Expander. The clinical use of a slow maxillary expander with Ni–Ti springs appears efficient and safe in in the correction of maxillary hypoplasia during mixed dentition.

Cephalometric Changes Following Maxillary Expansion with Ni-Ti Leaf Springs Palatal Expander and Rapid Maxillary Expander: A Retrospective Study

“…These findings are in accordance with Habeeb et al and Cerruto et al, who demonstrated a significant posterior movement of the upper incisors following RME therapy. This effect is probably due to the deciduous anchorage that permits an anterior positioning of the screw compared with appliances cemented on the first permanent molar, as already reported in previous research [32,33]. Nevertheless, no significant difference was found between the three groups.…”

Influence of the Depth of the Convolutional Neural Networks on an Artificial Intelligence Model for Diagnosis of Orthognathic Surgery

“…If the clinician does not properly diagnose a patient’s skeletal problems and simply performs orthodontic treatment to improve the dentition, the patient’s fascial profile may worsen. Therefore, it is first necessary to accurately diagnose a patient’s problem using various diagnostic clinical data [ 2 , 3 ]. Whether orthognathic surgery is necessary or a compromise orthodontic treatment is feasible is an important issue for dental patients who visit a hospital for treatment [ 1 ].…”

Effectiveness of Dental and Maxillary Transverse Changes in Tooth-Borne, Bone-Borne, and Hybrid Palatal Expansion through Cone-Beam Tomography: A Systematic Review of the Literature

“…Usually, first maxillary permanent molars or second maxillary temporary molars are used for anchorage of the maxillary expander. The expander can be activated by discontinuous forces according to a rapid or slow protocol or by continuous forces via a pre-activated Ni-Ti expander [ 17 , 18 ]. The skeletal expansion of the midpalatal suture is possibly due to the hyalinization of the periodontal ligament of the anchored teeth and the transmission of the forces to the maxilla [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”