External root resorption (ERR) is an undesired side effect observed after rapid maxillary expansion (RME). This study aimed to investigate changes in the root volume of maxillary permanent first molars after RME using tooth-borne and bone-borne devices with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) software analysis. The study included 21 patients (mean age 11.8 years ±0.79 years) with skeletal transverse maxillary deficiency, randomly allocated into three groups according to the type of expansion device: tooth-borne Hyrax (TB), bone-borne 4-miniscrew (BB4) and bone-borne 2-miniscrew (BB2). The same expansion screw and activation protocol were applied in all groups. A CBCT was carried out before treatment (T0) and after treatment at a 6-month follow-up (T1). The volumetric assessment of maxillary permanent first molars was performed using digital software, evaluating the mean root volume changes (mm3 and %) between T0 and T1 in each group (TB, BB4, BB2). The Wilcoxon test was used for intra-group comparisons and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for inter-group comparisons. Significance was set at P≤0.05.
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root volume changes of maxillary permanent first molars following the active expansion phase.
Timeframe: up to 14 months