Orthodontic treatment for jaw deformities in cleft lip and palate patients with the combined use of an external-expansion arch and a facial mask.

Patients with cleft lip and palate can suffer from contraction of the maxillary arch and anterior cross-bite accompanied by skeletal growth retardation. We use an appliance called an external-expansion arch and induce maxillary protraction using a facial mask in order to correct the anterior cross-bite and maxillary retrusion. In this paper, the method of application of these appliances and the effects of this therapy are reported here. The external-expansion arch consists of a labial wire, bands and a sectional arch. The 0.045-inch stainless steel wire extends along the maxillary dental arch. Hooks are soldered immediately distal to the lateral incisor and the distal leg of the vertical loop. The brackets are bonded to the maxillary anterior teeth, and a 0.016 x 0.016 inch sectional arch is set. The external-expansion arch is inserted into the headgear tube and ligated with the sectional arch using elastic thread. The maxillary bone is pulled by use of the facial mask and the elastic band. For traction, the force is about 300 g on each side, applied parallel to the occlusal plane or slightly downward. The duration of use is 8 to 12 hours per day. The external-expansion arch has several advantages: it can be applied from the early period of Hellman's dental age IIIA or IIC to improve anterior cross-bite. As it is easy to expand the anterior teeth and move individual teeth to the labial and buccal sides, establishment of a dental arch from severe collapse is not difficult. When an expanding device such as the Quad-helix is incorporated, lateral expansion becomes easier. Furthermore, it is easy to control the teeth vertically, and patient compliance is not necessary. Hence, this method is effective as a phase 1 treatment for orthodontic patients with cleft lip and palate characterized by maxillary retardation.