Comparison of the effect of different rapid maxillary expansion treatments on tooth hardness values: Splint mouth study

Aim: The purpose of this study, planned as a splint mouth design, is to compare the effects of different rapid maxillary expansion (RME) appliances on the hardness values of teeth. Methodology: This study utilized extracted upper first premolar teeth from a previous study conducted by Yıldırım and Akın in 2019 on 20 patients. Five patients were excluded from this study due to fractures of the tooth crown during extraction, which also necessitated the exclusion of the opposing arch teeth. The extracted teeth were stored in distilled water at +4 degrees Celsius. The crowns and roots of these teeth were separated at the cementoenamel junction using an aerator and a diamond bur under water cooling. The crowns were then embedded into rings of standard thickness using the cold acrylic dripping method. Hardness measurements were performed using a Vickers Hardness tester. Enamel samples obtained from the patients were placed under a test microscope and examined at X40 magnification; force was applied to each enamel sample for 10 s. The device automatically calculated and recorded the microhardness value relationship. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to confirm the normal distribution of the data. Comparisons between groups were conducted using Student's t-test. Results: The group using the hybrid maxillary expansion appliance showed lower hardness values than the conventional group, although the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Fixed orthodontic treatments similarly increase the demineralization of teeth. Therefore, individual or preventive measures by dentists or orthodontists should be taken against mineral losses. How to cite this article: Sağoğlu S, Yıldırım M, Akın M, Erdur EA. Comparison of the effect of different rapid maxillary expansion treatments on tooth hardness values: Splint mouth study. Int Dent Res. 2024;14(S1):45-49. https://doi.org/10.5577/indentres.564