Effectiveness of low-level laser therapy in facilitating maxillary expansion using bone-borne hyrax expander: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Objective The objective of this randomized clinical trial was to study the skeletal and dental effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) along with a miniscrew-assisted expander (Hyrax) after six months of retention. Methods After sequence generation, concealed allocation, and implementation, 24 female patients were randomly divided (11) into two-groups bone-borne rapid palatal expansion (BBE) without LLLT (n = 12) and BBE with LLLT (n = 12). Eligibility criteria included female patients aged 10–13 years old with bilateral posterior crossbites. Intraoral and extraoral photographs, cone-beam computed tomography images, and digital study models were obtained before expansion and six months after retention. The 7 mm Hyrax appliance was anchored to four palatal mini-screws, which were activated twice daily for 15 days, then locked and kept in place as a retainer. LLLT was performed in the laser group during expansion and retention, according to the guidelines provided. Results The records of 24 patients were analyzed. According to the post-retention measurements, both groups showed a significant increase in nasal and maxillary widths and total facial height. In the laser group, the Sella-Nasion-Point A and Point A-Nasion-Point B angles and the interpremolar apical distance were significantly increased. Conclusions Within the limitations of this study, the results suggest that the parameters and protocol of LLLT do not clinically affect the efficiency of BBE in prepubertal and pubertal patients.