The Effects of Two Different Daily Use Protocols in Skeletally Anchored Face-Mask Therapy on Maxilla

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 11 - 20, 31.12.2025

Erdal Bozkaya , Sera Akkaya Bermede , Sevil Akkaya

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to compare the effects of two different daily use periods on the maxilla during maxillary protraction. This study was conducted on pre (T0) and post (T1) lateral cephalograms of 38 patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion treated with a miniplate anchored maxillary protraction appliance. The patients were divided into two groups on the basis of their daily appliance wearing time. The first group consisted of 19 patients (ten females, nine males; mean age 11.48±1.30 years) who used their appliance all day to provide continuous force (C.F. group). In the second group, 19 patients (twelve females, seven males; mean age 10.47±1.54 years) used their appliance for approximately 14 hours daily to provide intermittent force (IF group). Intragroup comparisons were performed with paired t tests and Wilcoxon tests, and intergroup comparisons were performed with the Mann‒Whitney U test. Significant forward movement of the maxilla was observed in both groups; however, the changes in the sagittal position of the maxilla were similar between the two groups. In the C.F. group, the treatment duration was 12.71 months, and in the IF group, it was 12.13 months, which was not significant. Full-time and part-time wearing of an extraoral appliance results in similar treatment outcomes. Therefore, breaks in wearing protraction devices during daily life might keep patients more cooperative for treatment.

Keywords

Extraoral traction appliances , orthodontic anchorage techniques , orthodontic appliances

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