Relationship between rapid maxillary expansion and nasal cavity size and airway resistance: short- and long-term effects.
BACKGROUND
The availability of new, reliable, objective, and 3-dimensional techniques to assess the effects of rapid maxillary expansion on the morphology of the maxillary dental arch, nasal cavity dimensions, and nasal airway resistance led to the development of this research.


METHODS
Thirty-eight subjects participated in this study (mean age, 13 years). Data were collected before expansion, when the expander was stabilized, when the expander was removed, and 9 to 12 months after the expander was removed. Subjective assessment of improvement in nasal respiration was obtained when the expander was stabilized. Three-dimensional imaging and acoustic rhinometry were used to assess the virtual cast and the nasal cavity, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The statistically significant short-term effects of RME were (1) mean increases in palatal area, volume, and intermolar distance; (2) a mean reduction of nasal airway resistance; and (3) mean increases in total nasal volume and nasal valve area. Our long-term findings were the following: (1) mean palatal area and intermolar distance were reduced, while palatal volume was stable, and (2) nasal airway resistance was stable, whereas mean nasal cavity volume and minimal cross-sectional area increased. Additionally, 61.3% of our subjects reported subjective improvement in nasal respiration. Weak correlations were found between all variables analyzed.
Oliveira De Felippe
Nanci Lara
NL
Department of Orthodontics and chief of orthodontics, The Craniofacial Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. nolive2@uic.edu
Da Silveira
Adriana C
AC
Viana
Grace
G
Kusnoto
Budi
B
Smith
Bonnie
B
Evans
Carla A
CA
D000293:Adolescent; D000403:Airway Resistance; D002648:Child; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000628:therapy*; D009967:Orthodontic Appliances; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique / Q000295:instrumentation; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D023842:Rhinometry, Acoustic