title: Treatment of unilateral posterior crossbite: comparison of the quad-helix and removable plate.
abstract: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the quad-helix and removable plate with respect to effect and cost of treatment in the mixed dentition with unilateral forced crossbite. In the quad-helix group (25 children), expansion was accomplished with a prefabricated .036'' quad-helix soldered to bands on the maxillary molars. In the plate group (25 children), the removable plates had a midline screw and four Adams clasps. The screw was opened by one quarter-turn each week. The crossbite was eliminated in all cases in the two groups. The respective results in the quad-helix group and in the plate group (in brackets) were: intermolar arch width increased 3.6 mm (3.7 mm); the total period of appliance therapy averaged 3.8 months (21.6 months), ranging from 2 to 6 months (12-30 months); the number of visits averaged 4.6 (16.0), ranging from 3 to 6 (11-22); number of appliances needed averaged 1 (1.7), and the costs of the appliances averaged $58 ($174). In the plate group, the average values of the laboratory costs were 3-fold, the number of visits 3.5-fold, and the expansion and retention time 5.7-fold more than the quad-helix group. The present treatment rationale with the quad-helix appliance is easy, effective, cost-efficient, and can be learned by every pedodontitis for correction of unilateral crossbites in the mixed dentition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Orthodontics, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranta
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D009967:Orthodontic Appliances / Q000191:economics; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012189:Retrospective Studies