| Abstrakt | | Background.Treatment of unilateral posterior cross-bite in the primary dentition period is still controversial in resperct of cost-effectivness and psihosocial benefit. Aim. The aim of this longitudinal study was to assess whether correction of unilateral posterior cross-bite (CB) in the primary dentition results in improvement of facial symmetry and increase of palatal surface area and palatal volume. Subjects and Methods. A group of 60 Caucasian children in the primary dentition, aged 5.3±0.7 years, were collected at baseline. The CB group consisted of 30 children (17 females and 13 males aged 5.1±0.9 years) with a unilateral posterior cross-bite with midline deviation of at least 2 mm, and 30 without malocclusion (NCB; 13 females and 17 males aged 5.4±0.3 years). The CB group was treated using an acrylic plate expander. The children's faces and dental casts were scanned using a three-dimensional laser scanning device. Non parametric tests were used for data analysis to assess differences over the 30 months period of follow-up. Results. The CB children had statistically significantly greater facial asymmetry in the lower part of the face (p<0.05), and a significantly smaller palatal volume (p<0.05) than the NCB children at baseline. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups at 6, 12, 18 and 30 months follow-ups. Treatment of unilateral posterior cross-bite in the primary dentition period resulted in an improvement of facial symmetry in the lower part of the face (p<0.05) and increase of the palatal surface area and palatal volume (p<0.001). At 30 months, relapse was observed in 8 children (26.7 per cent). Conclusions. Treatment of unilateral posterior cross-bite in the primary dentition improves facial symmetry and increases the palatal surface area and the palatal volume, though it creates normal conditions for normal growth and development of the orofacial system.
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