Three-Dimensional Photographic Evaluation of Immediate Soft Tissue Changes Following Rapid Maxillary Expansion

• Main Author: Granillo, Nathan
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2011
• Subjects: Rapid maxillary expansion; Soft tissue; 3dMD; Dentistry; Medicine and Health Sciences
• Online Access: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/2504; http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3503&context=etd

The skeletal and dental changes associated with rapid maxillary expansion (RME) are well documented. Effects on the soft tissues and the potential impact on facial esthetics have not been well researched. The purpose of this study was to evaluate immediate changes in facial soft tissues as a result of RME by comparing threedimensional digital photogrammetric images before and after RME treatment. The 3dMDface System was used to obtain photographic images of 21 patients (mean age = 11.8 years) before and after RME treatment for transverse maxillary deficiency. A control group of 13 patients (mean age = 12.7 years) also had two images taken at a similar time interval. Mean expansion was 6.5 mm in the RME patients. Intercanthal distance, nose width, and intercommissural width changed significantly in the RME patients from T0 to T1 (P = 0.011, P = 0.050, and P = 0.003, respectively). Intercommissural width, however, was the only measure that significantly changed as compared with the control group (P = 0.041). Changes in intercanthal distance and nose width were significantly related to the amount of expansion achieved (R2 = 0.428, P = 0.0013 and R2 = 0.501, P = 0.0003, respectively).