A Study on Skin Irritation in Children undergoing Orthodontic Facemask Therapy

Orthodontic facemask is an extraoral orthodontic appliance used in children with skeletal Class III malocclusion to influence the maxillary and mandibular developments in a favorable direction. While the use of facemask is the most effective in patients before the growth peak, skin irritation is often observed during the treatment. Thus, the present retrospective study aimed to investigate the prevalence and pattern of such skin changes and distinguish the possible factors associated with them. Patient age and sex; orthodontic parameters, expressing the severity of malocclusion; the presence of complaints in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) areas; and the level of patient cooperation were evaluated. Additionally, in patients with skin reactions the severity and onset time were further analyzed. The results indicated that 43.5% of the patients experienced skin changes, which were characteristic for irritant contact dermatitis. The presence of TMJ complaints, and female sex were found to have a statistically significant correlation with the occurrence of skin irritation. Furthermore, skin irritation was observed more frequently in younger patients. Clinicians should give a particular attention to the skin areas, which come in contact with the appliance at every visit in order to detect any potential problems. Moreover, patients and parents should be provided with sufficient information, regarding the possibility, prevention and management of skin problems during facemask therapy.