Purpose

Maxillary expanders are orthodontic appliances that are commonly used to expand the upper jaw. The purpose of this study will be to compare the effects produced by two different maxillary expanders in children 8-13 years old. The first type of expander is made by hand in an orthodontic laboratory, and the second type of expander is designed on a computer and printed using 3D printers. Both expanders are already used in the MUSC Orthodontics Clinic. The purpose of this study is to see if the 3D printed expander is as effective as the traditional expander made by hand in the laboratory, with more comfort to the patient. Patients participating in the study will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: group A will be treated with a laboratory-made maxillary expander, and group B with a 3D-Printed maxillary expander. Information will be collected on the participants' standard clinical follow-up visits including photos, x-rays, and dental photo scans over the course of 6 months to see how the expander is working. In addition, as part of the research study, the participant will be asked to complete online questionnaires with assistance from parents or guardians about his/her quality of life and perception of possible pain and discomfort at different time points. The potential benefits of this study include the use of 3D technology to improve the quality of the orthodontic treatment, with more comfort to the patient.

Condition

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 8 Years and 13 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • Maxillary anterior and/or posterior transverse deficiency with or without crossbite - Age of 8-13 years - Children whose parents/guardians are willing to consent to the child participating in the study - Children ages 12-13 who are willing to assent to participating in the study - Children who are orthodontic patients at the Medical University of South Carolina Department of Orthodontics - Subjects and parents/guardians who have access to an electronic device with internet connection

Exclusion Criteria

  • Patients with previous or ongoing orthodontic treatment - Patients whose parents have a strong preference as to which expander is used - Patients with a history of temporomandibular disorders - Presence of congenitally missing teeth - Traumatic loss of maxillary incisors - Patients with craniofacial syndromes, or cleft lip and/or palate

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
Single (Outcomes Assessor)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Group Conventional Expander
Conventional Laboratory Fabricated Hyrax Expander
  • Device: Conventional Laboratory Fabricated Hyrax Expander
    This is a type of maxillary expander that is made by hand in an orthodontic laboratory and is used to expand the upper jaw.
Experimental
Group 3-D Printed Expander
3D-Printed Hyrax Expander
  • Device: 3D-Printed Hyrax Expander
    This is a type of maxillary expander that is designed on a computer and printed in metal using 3D printers and is used to expand the upper jaw.

Recruiting Locations

University of Pittsburgh - School of Dental Medicine
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Contact:
Ildeu Andrade, DDS, MS, PhD
412-648-3369
ildeu.andrade@pitt.edu

Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina 29425
Contact:
Ildeu Andrade, DDS, MS, PhD
8437923366
andradei@musc.edu

More Details

NCT ID
NCT05743127
Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Ildeu Andrade Jr.

Study Contact

Ildeu Andrade, DDS, MS, PhD
843-792-3366
ildeu.andrade@pitt.edu

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.