Survey-Based Assessment of Quality of Life in Patients with Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion: Observational Study

OpenAlex İngilizce

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion on the adult patients' quality of life with maxillary transverse deficiency using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) and the Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ). Material and Methods: The study included 18 (8 males, 10 females) patients aged 18-35 years who were diagnosed with maxillary transverse deficiency and undergoing surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion. Patients were evaluated using OHIP-14 and OQLQ scores between baseline (T0), after expansion (T1), and after consolidation (T2). Results: The mean total OHIP-14 score increased from 15.43±8.50 at baseline (T0) to 23.57±15.22 during expansion (T1) and then decreased to 7.29±6.97 after consolidation (T2) (p=0.005). Statistically significant improvements were observed in the OHIP-14 domains of functional limitation (p=0.004), physical pain (p=0.004), psychological disability (p=0.037), and handicap (p=0.029). For the OQLQ, the mean total score decreased from 34.72±25.59 at T0 and 35.86±25.79 at T1 to 17.43±17.32 at T2 (p=0.020), with significant improvement in the oral function domain (p=0.037). These findings indicate that surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion positively impacts patients' quality of life. Conclusion: Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion is an effective treatment for adult patients with maxillary transverse deficiency, providing significant improvements in quality of life through enhanced oral function, reduced physical pain, and better psychological well-being.