Treatment outcomes of 3D-printed custom and conventional mini-implant assisted rapid palatal expanders (MARPE)

Authors

• Yash Sharma, University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
• Heeyeon Suh, University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of DentistryFollow
• Jonas Bianchi, University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of DentistryFollow
• Audrey Yoon, University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of DentistryFollow
• Heesoo Oh, University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of DentistryFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Progress in Orthodontics

Department

Orthodontics

ISSN

21961042

Volume

26

Issue

1

DOI

10.1186/s40510-025-00576-0

First Page

1

Last Page

11

Publication Date

8-25-2025

Abstract

Background: Maxillary expansion has been a treatment of choice for correcting transverse skeletal discrepancies, especially in growing patients. For older patients, Mini-implant Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (MARPE) offers a promising treatment option. This study evaluates the treatment outcomes of Custom 3D-printed MARPE compared to Conventional MARPE (MSE-II). Methods: This retrospective study analyzed CBCT images from 42 patients aged 16 to 35 years, comparing measurements before (T1) and after (T2) expansion. The conventional (n = 21) and custom (n = 21) MARPE groups were matched with age and sex. Skeletal and dental changes were evaluated measuring twelve distances and four angles using Dolphin Imaging Software (Chatsworth, Calif). The measurements included frontozygomatic and maxillary widths, nasal cavity width, and dentoalveolar inclination. The effectiveness of each appliance was evaluated based on magnitude of expansion and successful correction of transverse discrepancy. Results: The custom MARPE group demonstrated comparable or greater increase in width across various anatomical landmarks to the conventional group. Logistic regression suggested a trend toward higher odds of successful transverse discrepancy correction with custom MARPE. Conclusions: Custom 3D-printed MARPE appliances may offer advantages in achieving skeletal expansion in older patients. Individualized appliance design and strategic mini-implant placement could contribute to effective treatment. However, further research is needed to evaluate long-term outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and potential complications to better guide appliance selection for each patient.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Sharma, Yash; Suh, Heeyeon; Bianchi, Jonas; Yoon, Audrey; and Oh, Heesoo, "Treatment outcomes of 3D-printed custom and conventional mini-implant assisted rapid palatal expanders (MARPE)" (2025). Pacific Faculty Work. 46.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/all-faculty/46