Need for further clarity on optimal approach to ectopic canines.

DESIGN

Randomised controlled trial.

INTERVENTION: Patients between 8-13 years of age with either unilateral or bilateral PDC diagnosed on radiograph with the presence of mild crowding at the maxillary arch and/or molar relation showing Class II tendency were included. The head gear group (HG) used cervical pull headgear alone for one year for 12-14 hours a day, while the rapid maxillary expansion/headgear (RME/HG) group were treated with a banded rapid maxillary expander, (7 mm of active expansion; at the end of expansion all patients retained the expander for six months), followed by use of a cervical pull headgear as in the HG group. A control group received no active treatment.

OUTCOME MEASURE: A successful outcome for PDC was defined as the full eruption of the tooth, thus permitting bracket positioning for final arch alignment at 18 months after the initial observation.

RESULTS

Sixty of the 64 patients who entered the trial were available for final assessment. Successful eruption was 85.7% in the RME/HG group, 82.3% in the HG group and 36% in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the HG and RME/HG groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of rapid maxillary expansion and headgear (or headgear alone) in PDC cases increases the success rate of eruption of the canine significantly (almost three times more than in untreated controls).