The impact of mini-implant hybrid hyrax maxillary expansion on pulp blood flow and sensibility in healthy and traumatized teeth: A prospective study.

Introduction: We aimed to assess pulp blood flow (PBF) and pulp sensibility changes in healthy and traumatized teeth undergoing maxillary expansion with a mini-implant hybrid hyrax appliance.

Methods: Forty-five patients requiring maxillary expansion either with mini-implant supported hyrax expander (MARME) or tooth-borne hyrax expander (RME) had the pulp status of their maxillary anterior teeth assessed using laser Doppler flowmetry, electric pulp testing, and thermal testing (carbon dioxide snow). The study cohort was divided into 4 groups on the basis of expansion appliance (MARME or RME) and trauma experience (trauma or nontrauma). Each patient was tested before expansion, 2 weeks after expansion, and 3 months after expansion (T3). Relationships between PBF, time interval, and trauma were evaluated using linear mixed modeling.

Results: Healthy teeth with RME or MARME expansion had reestablished pretreatment PBF at T3 (P >0.05). Traumatized teeth undergoing RME did not reach pretreatment PBF at T3 (P ≤0.05). There were no statistically significant changes in PBF in the MARME+Trauma group at all time intervals (P >0.05). A reduction in pulp blood flow occurred during rapid maxillary expansion from both expansion appliances; however, the relative reduction of PBF in MARME was less than with RME (P ≤0.05) 2 weeks after expansion. Most teeth across all groups (≥85%) maintained pulp sensibility at all time intervals regardless of whether there was a history of trauma.

Conclusions: Patients with transverse discrepancies and a history of trauma may benefit from MARME as evidenced by reduced changes in PBF compared with RME without affecting pulp sensibility.