Transversal growth and development of the jaws – News opportunities for mandibular expansion

Adriano Marotta ARAUJO, Peter H. BUSCHANG

The growth and adaptation of the craniofacial complex has been a longstanding interest of orthodontists who understand that normal growth changes provide an essential reference for diagnosis and treatment planning. With recent developments there has been increased research activity pertaining to transverse developmental changes on both treated and untreated subjects. Of particular importance, implants studies evaluating normal developmental changes of the skeletal bases have forced orthodontists to reconsider the long notions established from longitudinal descriptions of the dental arches changes. These more recent studies defy the notion that transverse mandibular arch dimensions are immutable. The purpose of this paper is to 1) synthetize the literature pertaining to transverse maxillary and mandibular arch changes of untreated children and adolescents and 2) discuss possible clinical implications of these transverse arch changes during growth.

Keywords: Craniofacial growth. Maxillary expansion. Mandibular expansion.

Friday, May 03, 2024 15:24