title: Long-term dental and skeletal changes in patients submitted to surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This meta-analysis evaluated long-term dental and skeletal changes in patients submitted to surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion.
  
  
  METHODS
  A search was performed in electronic databases. Human clinical trials with patients submitted to surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion with a follow-up of at least 1 year after expansion were selected. A methodological quality scoring process was used. A meta-analysis was performed to compare measurements of skeletal and dental structures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred sixty-five titles and abstracts were read. Ultimately 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. The 3 articles ranked as presenting low methodological quality were excluded. Three measurements could be compared and 3 time periods were used to assess changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is moderate evidence to conclude that maxillary alveolar width and intercanine and intermolar width have a long-term significant increase as a result of surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion. A significant relapse is expected in the intercanine width after expansion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidad Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giselle Naback Lemes
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Vilani
authors.forename: Claudia Trindade
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Mattos
authors.forename: Antônio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Ruellas
authors.forename: Lucianne Cople
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Maia
mesh_terms: D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique; D014070:Tooth / Q000473:pathology*