Abstract
Introduction: Upper airway obstructions that affect breathing patterns can impact the width, length, and height of the maxillomandibular complex, subsequently affecting the nasal cavity, retropalatal, and retroglossal upper airway space. Rapid maxillary expansion (RME) and Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (MARPE) offer different treatment modalities for young and adolescent patients with maxillary transverse deficiency. MARPE is considered helpful in relieving symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adult patients.
Materials and Methods: The study included patients in stages 2 and 3 of the cervical vertebrae maturation index (CVMI) with skeletal class III malocclusion, maxillary deficiency, and no prior orthodontic treatment. A sample size of 30 patients was divided into three groups: maxillary skeletal expander-facemask (Group 1, n=10), hybrid hyrax-facemask (Group 2, n=10), and control (Group 3, n=10). Patients were randomly allocated using a computer-generated list and sequentially numbered envelopes.
Results: In the facemask and hybrid hyrax group, there was a significant increase in all the medians of the airway variables after the intervention. Similarly, in the facemask and MSE group, there was a significant increase in all the medians of these variables after the intervention (p = 0.005).
Conclusion: The study concludes that maxillary skeletal expander and hybrid hyrax facemask combination treatments in developing skeletal class III malocclusion patients increase sagittal airway dimensions, with exceptions attributable to physiological growth patterns. Despite variations in findings across studies, the intervention shows promise in optimizing skeletal changes while minimizing adverse dental effects.