PATIENT’S PERCEPTION OF PAIN AND DISCOMFORT DURING MAXILLARY ARCH EXPANSION USING TWO DIFFERENT APPLIANCES - A PILOT QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY

Aim: To evaluate and compare perceived pain and discomfort levels experienced by subjects treated with tooth-borne (Hyrax) and bone-borne (MARPE) Maxillary expansion appliances. Materials and Methods: Ten subjects (7 boys and 3 girls) with a mean age of 15.8(+/- 2.8) years were randomized into two groups. Group A received a MARPE appliance anchored using mini-implants in the anterior palate and group B received a conventional Hyrax appliance. A self-assessment questionnaire on pain intensity, discomfort and analgesic consumption was given to subjects on the review visit and responses were collected. Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U test was done to compare the mean of pain and discomfort levels between the two groups. Results: All 10 subjects answered the questionnaire. More pain was experienced in the posterior teeth region by subjects treated with MARPE (p<0.05). No significant intergroup difference in pain levels experienced in the anterior region, palatal vault and the head region and analgesic consumption was noted. (p>0.05) Conclusions: Although both Hyrax and MARPE were generally well tolerated there was a significantly higher pain experience in posterior teeth region for subjects treated with MARPE.