What is the impact of miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion on the midfacial soft tissues? A prospective three-dimensional stereophotogrammetry study.

Objectives: To evaluate the midfacial soft tissue changes of the face in patients treated with miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE).

Materials And Methods: 3D facial images and intra-oral scans (IOS) were obtained before expansion (T0), immediately after completion of expansion (T1), and 1 year after expansion (T2). The 3D images were superimposed and two 3D distance maps were generated to measure the midfacial soft tissue changes: immediate effects between timepoints T0 and T1 and overall effects between T0 and T2.