Early Orthodontic Appliance Acceptance in Children with Anterior Open Bite: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 MSc Student, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University, Egypt Assistant Lecturer, Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Misr University for Science and Technology (MUST), Egypt

2 Instructor, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University

3 Professor, Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health, college of Oral Dental Surgery, Misr University for Science and Technology (MUST), Egypt.

4 Professor, Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University.

Abstract

Objective: To compare patient acceptance between fixed palatal cribs and bonded spurs in the early treatment of anterior open bite.
Methods: A total of 30 children aged 6 to 11 years with anterior open bite (≥1 mm) were enrolled in this randomized clinical trial. Participants were equally assigned to one of two treatment groups: fixed palatal crib (n = 15) or bonded spurs (n = 15). Patient acceptance was assessed through a questionnaire after one month of appliance use. For categorical data analysis, Fisher’s exact test was applied, while continuous variables were analyzed using independent t-tests to compare the groups.
Results: Speech adaptation was significantly higher in the bonded spurs group (93.3%) compared to the fixed palatal crib group (40.0%) (p < 0.01). Adaptation time was also significantly shorter with bonded spurs, as 66.7% of patients adjusted within two days, whereas only 6.7% of the crib group achieved this adaptation within the same period (p < 0.001). While patient acceptance was higher for bonded spurs in terms of speech adaptation and quicker adjustment and eating comfort, aesthetics, or pain tolerance did not reveal any statistically significant variation between the two groups.
Conclusion: This study highlights how appliance design affects patient comfort and adaptation. The differences observed between bonded spurs and fixed palatal cribs suggest that patient comfort should be considered when choosing treatment. Ensuring a good balance between effectiveness and ease of adaptation can help improve patient experience and compliance.

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Egyptian Dental Journal
Volume 71, Issue 3 - Serial Number 1
July (Orthodontics, Pediatric & Preventive Dentistry)
July 2025
Pages 1995-2003

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