Comparative Effects of Facemask Therapy and Anteroposterior TransForce Appliance in Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate (UCLP) Patients With Developing Class III Malocclusion: A Single-Center Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE

To comparatively evaluate the effects of Sagittal TransForce appliance and Tooth borne Facemask appliance in Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate patients.

SETTING

Single-center prospective randomized clinical trial conducted in a hospital setting.

SAMPLE POPULATION: Patients from the age group of 7-12 years with a repaired complete Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate (UCLP) and GOSLON score of 3 requiring maxillary protraction and preparation for secondary alveolar bone grafting were selected for the study.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Patients were randomly divided into two groups of 18 patients each. Group I patients received tooth-borne Facemask therapy with Alt-RAMEC protocol and Group II received Sagittal TransForce appliance. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were done before (T0) and at the end of the active treatment (T1). Two lateral cephalograms were obtained from CBCT scans at the Pretreatment stage (T0) and Posttreatment stage (T1).

RESULT: In patients treated with the TransForce appliance, a statistically significant difference was found in dental parameters like U1-NA angular (7.67° ± 1.49), U1-NA linear (2.01 ± 1.82 mm) measurement and U1-SN (13.98° ± 6.82), whereas in the Face mask group, skeletal parameters were found to be statistically significant, such as SNA angle (3.020 ± 1.72) and convexity at point A (3.260 ± 0.27). Pitchfork analysis shows 80% dental changes and 20% skeletal changes for the TransForce group whereas 41% dental and 58% skeletal changes for the Facemask group.

CONCLUSION

While overjet correction was observed in both groups. Tooth-borne facemask with Alt-RAMEC protocol seemed to be effective in improving mild to moderate skeletal discrepancy whereas the Transforce appliance seemed to be effective in improving the dental profile of the patients.