Maxillary transverse deficiency is a common problem in orthodontics. It could be skeletal and/or dental origin and is often manifested by unilateral or bilateral posterior cross bite. A patient with maxillary transverse deficiency may also show mandibular transverse deficiency, and there may or may not be cross bite present. Traditionally, the posteroanterior cephalograms and dental casts are used to make diagnosis and treatment planning of transverse problems. However, they have presented significant limitations. Nowadays, with the advent of cone beam CT (CBCT), a lot of new knowledge has been generated from studying the transverse dimensions of maxilla and mandible using CBCT. In this lecture, using CBCT the transverse growth of maxillary and mandibular basal bones and dentitions, the normal skeletal transverse relationship between maxilla and mandible, and proper diagnosis and treatment planning of transverse problems will be presented. In addition, the rapid palatal expansion (RPE), RPE with TADs, surgically assisted RPE, and effects of RPE on nasomaxillary complex will be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
After this session, attendees will be able to:
Recognize normal skeletal and dental transverse growth.
Recognize normal skeletal transverse relationship between maxilla and mandible.
Outline CBCT guided diagnosis and treatment planning of transverse problems.
