Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata'r, Oxford, Rome, Italy.
Department of Dentistry, UNSBC, Tirana, Rome.
Eur J Orthod. 2019 Sep 21;41(5):531-536. doi: 10.1093/ejo/cjz003.
The objective of this study was to analyze soft tissue changes produced by rapid maxillary expansion and facial mask therapy in growing Class III patients.
The treated group consisted of 32 Caucasian patients (15 females and 17 males) with dentoskeletal Class III malocclusion treated with the Face Mask Protocol (FMP, rapid maxillary expander, facial mask, and removable lower bite-block). All patients were evaluated before treatment (T1; mean age, 8.4 years), at the end of active treatment (T2; mean age, 10.7 years), and at a post-pubertal follow-up observation (T3; mean age, 15.8 years). The treated group was compared with a matched control group of 20 untreated subjects (10 females and 10 males) with dentoskeletal Class III malocclusion. Statistical comparisons between two groups were performed with the independent samples t-test (P < 0.05).
Significant improvements were found during the long-term T1-T3 interval for profile facial angle (-5.8°), nasolabial angle (-4.4°), mandibular sulcus (-10.3°), upper lip protrusion (+0.7 mm), and lower lip protrusion (-1.1 mm) in the treated group. No significant post-pubertal effects were found in terms of lower face percentage between two groups.
This study has a retrospective design and it used a historical control sample.
The FMP induced positive effects on soft tissue facial profile with a good long-term post-pubertal stability.
本研究旨在分析快速上颌扩张和面部面具疗法对生长中 III 类错（牙合）患者软组织变化的影响。
治疗组包括 32 名高加索患者（15 名女性和 17 名男性），存在牙颌面 III 类错（牙合）畸形，采用面弓治疗方案（快速上颌扩张器、面部面具和可摘式下颌咬合板）进行治疗。所有患者在治疗前（T1；平均年龄 8.4 岁）、主动治疗结束时（T2；平均年龄 10.7 岁）和青春期后随访观察时（T3；平均年龄 15.8 岁）进行评估。治疗组与未治疗的 20 名牙颌面 III 类错（牙合）畸形患者的匹配对照组（10 名女性和 10 名男性）进行比较。采用独立样本 t 检验（P<0.05）对两组间的统计学差异进行比较。
在 T1-T3 期间，治疗组的面型侧貌角（-5.8°）、鼻唇角（-4.4°）、下颌切迹角（-10.3°）、上唇突度（+0.7mm）和下唇突度（-1.1mm）有显著改善。两组间在青春期后下颜面比例方面没有显著差异。
本研究采用回顾性设计，使用了历史对照样本。
面弓治疗方案对上颌快速扩张引起的软组织面型变化有积极影响，且具有良好的长期青春期后稳定性。
