Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Author Spotlight: 3D Movement Assessment of Maxillary Posterior Teeth in Clear Aligner Treatment
Published on: February 23, 2024
Changes and Correlations Between the Width and Height of the Hard Palate During Rapid Maxillary Expansion with a
Mirela Georgieva1, Emanuel Emiliyanov1, Greta Yordanova1
1Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University of Sofia, 1432 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Background/Objectives:
The nasomaxillary complex is a compound anatomical structure in which the correlation between changes in palatal width and height has been poorly investigated.
Methods:
A three-year prospective study with 28 patients treated with printed expanders was conducted. Measurements on CBCT images were performed before and after treatment; the width and height parameters were measured on a coronal slice of a CBCT image at the level of the first molars and upper first molar inclination relative to the palatal plane.
Results:
A significant difference was found between the values measured before and after treatment, including an increase in the measured width parameters and a statistically significant decrease in palatal height (0.75 ± 0.97). The mean change in the upper molar inclination was not significant (tooth 16: 0.60 ± 6.42; tooth 26: 2.19 ± 4.51). The regression analysis did not establish a significant correlation between the expansion of the maxillary occlusal width and palatal height change or a significant correlation between the increase in the upper molar inclination and palatal height change.
Conclusions:
The use of a printed tooth-borne expander causes predictable and reproducible skeletal changes. It is a feasible treatment option, allowing for precise screw positioning to achieve bodily movement of the teeth and decrease the change in molar inclination.
