The effects of face mask and tongue plate on maxillary deficiency in growing patients: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this randomized clinical trial was to compare the effects of facemask and tongue plate therapy in the treatment of class III malocclusion associated with maxillary deficiency in growing patients.

DESIGN: Prospective, randomized clinical trial.

SETTING: Department of Orthodontics, SB University of Medical Sciences Dental School, Tehran, Iran.

METHODS: Fifty patients with maxillary deficiency were randomly allocated to two groups. One group was treated with a removable facemask and the other with a tongue plate. Three patients dropped out of the study leaving a final number of 47 that were analysed. The face mask group included 24 patients (12 males, 12 females) with a mean age of 9 (SD 1·2) years; while the tongue plate group included 23 patients (10 males, 13 females) with a mean age of 9·1 (SD 0·9) years. The patients lateral cephalograms obtained at the beginning and end of the study were analysed.

RESULTS: Paired t-tests showed that SNA increased by 1° (SD 1·5°) in the facemask group (P<0·001) and by 2·2° (SD 1·5°) in the tongue plate group (P<0·001). With the exception of SNA and GoGn, Mann-Whitney testing showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. IMPA was found to decrease significantly in both groups.

CONCLUSION: Both treatment modalities were successful in moving the maxilla forward, proclining the maxillary incisors and retroclining the mandibular incisors. The more simple design of the tongue plate might therefore confer some advantages to this system in comparison with a facemask.