Early crossbite correction: a three-dimensional evaluation

A crossbite (CB) occurs in approximately 4-23 per cent of young children and may lead to mandibular and facial asymmetry. Therefore, early intervention is often necessary to create conditions for normal occlusal and facial development. The aim of this study was to assess facial asymmetry and palatal volume (pre- and post-treatment) in two groups of children, one with a unilateral CB and the other with no crossbite (NCB). Thirty children with CB (13 males, 17 females, mean age 4.9 +/- 0.98 years) and 28 children with NCB (17 males, 11 females, mean age 5.3 +/- 0.36 years) were included in the study. Those with a CB were treated with an intra-oral expansion appliance. The faces and dental casts of the children were scanned using a three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning device at baseline (T0) and after six months (T1) of treatment. Student's t-tests were used to assess differences between the two groups in facial symmetry and palatal volume over the 6 month period. The CB children had statistically significantly greater asymmetry of the face (P = 0.042), especially the lower third (P = 0.039), and a significantly smaller palatal volume (P = 0.045) than the NCB subjects at baseline. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups at T1. Treatment of a CB in the primary dentition corrected the facial asymmetry, particularly the lower part of the face. The palatal volume of the CB children increased as a result of orthodontic intervention to similar levels exhibited by the NCB children.