Dento-facial changes and oral health-related quality of life assessment in management of anterior crossbite in mixed dentition: a randomized clinical trial

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of clear aligner (CA) vs removable inclined plane (RP) in improving the dentofacial changes and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in children with anterior crossbite in the mixed dentition. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four pseudo-Class III patients in the mixed dentition (8-12 years) were randomly allocated into two equal groups: the CA group treated with clear aligners, and the RP group treated with removable inclined planes. Lateral cephalometric analysis and OHRQoL questionnaires were conducted immediately before and after 4 months of intervention. The primary outcome included cephalometric changes, whereas the CPQ8-10 (children's perception questionnaire) was the secondary outcome. Data analysis included paired t-tests, independent t-tests, the Shapiro-Wilk test, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and the Mann-Whitney test. Results: Significant differences were observed between the two groups for changes in U1-SN, IMPA, L1-NB angles, and L1-NB (mm) (P < .05). However, there was no significant difference in improving the OHRQoL of patients between the CA and RP groups (P > .05). Conclusions: Both treatment approaches resulted in similar improvement in the patients OHRQoL. However, the CA group resulted in more significant proclination of the upper incisors, while the RP group showed more significant retroclination of the lower incisors.