title: [Orthodontic effects of palatal suture expansion].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the work was the determination of the possibility of the palatal suture expansion with an orthodontic method depending on the age of patients, and the assessment of orthodontic treatment results.
  
  
  METHODS
  The examination composed 40 individuals (24 female and 16 male) at the age of 10 and 6 months to 30 years and 1 month. Two groups were formed with regard to age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The palatal suture expansion was obtained in 18 individuals (that is 100% of the examined) of the first group at the ages of 10 years and 6 months to 15 years and 5 months and in 12 individuals at the ages of 16 years and 4 months to 30 years and 1 month in the second group, which amounted to 54%. In 10 persons there was no palatal suture expansion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The palatal suture expansion influenced in a statistically significant way an increase in the width of the palate, anterior and posterior width of the upper dental arch and a decrease in the index of the palatal height. The palatal suture expansion had no statistically significant influence on lowering the height of the palate and on the decrease in overbite, or changes in overjet. The age had no statistically significant influence on orthodontic changes. However, the age had a statistically significant influence on orthodontic changes assessed on the basis of the width of diastema.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Zakład Ortodoncji Pomorskiej Akademii Medycznej w Szczecinie al. Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin.
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kamińska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique / Q000295:instrumentation; D013537:Sutures; D016896:Treatment Outcome