Clinical effect of removable lingual arch plus auxiliary spring for dental arch expansion / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Observe the clinical effect of removable lingual arch plus auxiliary spring for convenient dental (especially mandibular) arch expansion.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventeen patients with dental arch constriction complicated by mild dental crowding were enrolled in this study, including 9 requiring maxillary arch expansion and 8 necessitating mandibular expansion. The patients were divided to two groups at random for arch expansion with removable lingual arch plus auxiliary spring and with Quad-helix, respectively, and the effect of arch expansion was compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 8 weeks of arch expansion, the average width of U4-U4 and U5-U5 in removable lingual arch group was enlarged by 2.2 mm and 3.0 mm, and that in Quad-helix group by 2.3 mm and 3.5 mm, respectively, showing no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). After 12 weeks of treatment, the average width of L4-L4 and L5-L5 in the former group was enlarged by 2.3 mm and 2.5 mm, respectively, significantly greater than that in the latter group (1.0 mm and 1.2 mm, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Removable lingual arch plus auxiliary spring allows significant expansion of the middle segment of the dental arch (bicuspids), and can be more effective than Quad-helix for mandibular arch expansion.</p>