Dental school alumni watch: Dr. Uyen Nguyen

During the International Orthodontic Congress in Yokohama, Japan, the Asian Pacific Orthodontic Society will recognize West Virginia University School of Dentistry Department of Orthodontics researchers and alumni for a study using a novel expansion appliance to correct posterior crossbite in young adults.

Dr. Uyen Nguyen, a 2017 graduate of the orthodontics residency program, along with Department Chair Dr. Peter Ngan, faculty members Dr. Chris Martin and Dr. Timothy Tremont published the findings in the APOS Trends Orthodontic Journal.

The team was the first to place the Micro-implant Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (MARPE) appliance in young adult patients and determine the benefits of using such appliances to correct maxillary transverse deficiency.

The researchers concluded that the non-surgical use of MARPE appliance can be a successful and clinically acceptable treatment option for correcting mild to moderate posterior crossbites in adults.

The Asian Pacific Orthodontic Society named the team’s publication of the study as the Jyothindra Kumar APOS Trends Award for the best original research article (2017-2018).

The award paper will be presented during the International Orthodontic Congress in Yokohama, Japan at in October, 2020.

Ngan P, Nguyen UK, Nguyen T, Tremont T, Martin C. Skeletal, dentoalveolar, and periodontal changes of skeletally matured patients with maxillary deficiency treated with microimplant-assisted rapid palatal expansion appliances: A pilot study. APOS Trends Orthod 2018;8:71-85.