Early treatment for posterior crossbite with Hawley expansion plates and cross-elastics

Abstract

Background: the treatment for posterior crossbite must be early to avoid major alterations, which are more difficult to be corrected and have a greater economic cost.Objective: to describe the results of the use of active transverse and cross-elastic expansion appliances in the early treatment of posterior crossbite in patients treated at the "3 de Octubre" Teaching Dental Clinic of Las Tunas, from September 2016 to December 2018.Methods: a prospective longitudinal study was carried out at the aforementioned institution and during the period herein stated. The universe consisted of all the patients with transverse occlusion anomalies and the sample included 17 patients with mixed dentition stage and posterior crossbite (unilateral, bilateral or a single tooth). The following variables were studied: type of posterior crossbite, sex, posterior protrusion and correction time of the crossbite.Results: the female sex (64,7 %) and the crossbite of a single tooth (53 %) prevailed. Out of the total crossbites treated with active expansion appliances, 72,7 % were corrected and most of them healed between 7 and 12 months. The bilateral bite was corrected in all the cases. In those treated with cross-elastics, 66,7 % were corrected and most of them lasted from 3 or 4 months to uncross.Conclusions: The results of the use of active cross-expansion appliances and cross-elastics in the early treatment of posterior crossbite were described.

Keywords

• malocclusion
• orthodontic appliances, removable
• therapeutics