[Clinical and radiologic evaluation of periodontal changes during treatment for anterior crossbite]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the intensity of changes in periodontium under the influence of occlusal trauma and treatment and to correlate these changes with sex and age of patient. An attempt was made to determine when treatment should be started in order to achieve optimal results. 40 patients (19 girls and 21 boys) with anterior crossbite enrolled. The patients were divided into four groups according to age: 7-9 years (group I); 10-14 years with mixed dentition (group II); 15-19 years with early permanent dentition (group III); 20 years and older (group IV). Malocclusion was diagnosed with the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Needs (IOTN) and radiographs. Periodontal status was evaluated on the basis of pocket depth measured with WHO periodontal probe, presence of pale gingival margin, mobility of teeth according to Lindhe, oral hygiene with the Plaque Index according to Sillness and Löe, and gingival bleeding with a modified method of Caton and Polson. X-ray examination was done on two occasions: before and after treatment. Orthodontic and periodontal examination were done 3 times: before treatment, immediately after treatment and 12 months after removal of active appliance. Acrylic plates were used in 38 patients. Radiographs made before and after orthodontic treatment revealed alveolar bone regeneration in the lower incisors which are antagonists of upper incisors in anterior crossbite, in groups I, II and III. The results show that improvement was easiest to achieve in the youngest group. Transient worsening of the evaluated parameters was due to corrective force of the plate. Improvement in the state of periodontium was observed when the teeth were repositioned correctly. Higher values of the evaluated indices were more often observed in girls than boys. Short treatment times make this method a very attractive alternative.