Evaluation of the mesio-buccal gingival sulcus depth of the upper central incisors in patients submitted to surgically assisted maxillary expansion.
PROPOSITION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the modifications that occurred in the mesio-buccal gingival sulcus depth of the upper central incisors during a 3-year post-operative period.


METHODS
The mesio-buccal gingival sulcus depth of the upper central incisors of patients submitted to surgically assisted maxillary expansion (SAME) was measured by using a periodontal probe, both in the pre-operative period and in the 2-, 6-, 24-, and 36-month post-operative period. The results were submitted for statistical analysis by using ANOVA and Tukey's test with level of significance of 5%.


RESULTS
The mesial gingival sulcus depths were statistically significant (P < 0.05) in the comparison between the pre-operative and both the 2- and 6-month post-operative periods, between the 2- and 24-month post-operative periods, and between the 2- and 36-month periods.


CONCLUSIONS
The gingival sulcus depths increased during the initial post-operative periods. The SAME procedure increased the gingival sulcus depth of the upper central incisors.
de Assis
Diogo Souza Ferreira Rubim
DS
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Sagrado Coração, Bauru, SP, Brazil.
Ribeiro
Paulo Domingos
PD
Duarte
Marco Antônio Húngaro
MA
Gonçales
Eduardo Sanches
ES
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor; D008297:Male; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult