title: Geometric morphometric analysis of the palatal morphology in children with impacted incisors: A three-dimensional evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze variations in palatal morphology in subjects presenting unilaterally impacted maxillary permanent central incisors compared with a control group of subjects without eruption anomalies using a three-dimensional (3D) analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six white subjects (10 girls and 16 boys; mean age 9.5 ± 1.5 years) with unilaterally impacted maxillary permanent central incisors (impacted incisor group [IIG]) were compared with a control group (CG) of 26 subjects (14 girls and 12 boys, mean age 8.7 ± 1.6 years) presenting no eruption disorders. For each subject, dental casts were taken and the upper arch was scanned using a 3D laser scanner. To study the entirety of the shape of the palate in any point of the surface, 3D geometric morphometrics was applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects with impacted maxillary incisors showed skeletal adaptations of the maxilla. In the IIG, both the superior palatal region and lateral palatal surface showed significantly different morphology when compared with CG, with a narrower and higher palatal vault.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of maxillary central incisors over the physiological age of eruption influenced the development of the palatal morphology compared with subjects without eruption anomalies.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pavoni
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Paoloni
authors.forename: Luis Tomas Huanca
authors.initials: LTH
authors.lastname: Ghislanzoni
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laganà
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cozza
mesh_terms: D059925:Anatomic Landmarks; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007180:Incisor / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003765:Models, Dental; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Impacted incisors; Palatal morphology; Three-dimensional analysis