Perceived pain during rapid maxillary expansion in children with different expanders:
Marília Carolina de Araújo, Jéssica Rico Bocato, Sandrine Bittencourt Berger, Paula Vanessa Pedron Oltramari, Ana Cláudia de Castro Ferreira Conti, Márcio Rodrigues de Almeida, Thaís Maria Freire Fernandes
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the intensity of pain caused by rapid maxillary expansion (RME) with two expanders: Hyrax and Haas type, in growing patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-nine patients (23 girls and 16 boys) with an average age of 9.3 years (SD = 1.39 years) were randomized into two groups and treated with Hyrax- and Haas-type expanders. In both groups, initial activation of the expander screw was one full turn on the first day followed by 2/4 of a turn two times a day (morning and night) for 7 days. Inclusion criteria were patients presenting with a posterior crossbite or maxillary atresia between 7 and 12 years old. To evaluate the intensity of pain during the active phase of the treatment, a combination of the Numerical Rating Scale and Wong-Baker Faces Pain Scale was used. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the two treatment groups. RESULTS: There was significant inverse correlation between days following insertion and pain. During the expansion period, 100% of the children reported some pain. Hyrax expander subjects reported greater pain than those treated with the Haas-type expander only on the first day. The level of pain remained greater in girls throughout treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Pain was reported regardless of the type of expander and was higher in the Hyrax group only on the first day of activation.