Modification of the maxilla for children from the age of 8 to 12 years old after the use of MARPE. Literature review

Abstract

Foundations: Transverse maxillary deficiency, characterized by deficient growth of the maxilla, is strongly associated with dental crowding, crossbite, class II and class III malocclusion and temporomandibular joint dysfunction, thus, micro-screw assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) was developed with the purpose of achieving maxillary expansion without surgical intervention. Objective: To analyze the changes in the maxilla after the use of MARPE in children aged 8 to 12 years. Methods: The literature was selected through a search in the following electronic databases: Pubmed, Springer, Cochrane Library, Google Academic, Proquest, Web of science, Taylor & Francis. The information was searched from January 2012 to January 2023, with the inclusion of all languages. Results: After applying the inclusion criteria, a total of sixteen articles were obtained and reviewed. Conclusions: The available literature showed that MARPE could reduce the loss of buccal alveolar bone thickness and marginal bone level in the first premolar area than conventional rapid palatal expansion. However, the low quality of the evidence makes these claims inconclusive. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to conduct new studies, preferably studies using significant samples and with a longer follow-up duration to identify long-term effects and recurrence.