Evaluation of First Molar Buccolingual Angulations and Dental Arch Parameters in Adolescents with Bilateral Posterior Crossbite

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the maxillary and mandibular transverse dental arch widths and buccolingual inclinations of the molar teeth in patients with and without bilateral posterior crossbite (BPC) divided into different age groups. METHODS: The study included dental models from 120 patients (age: 12-18 years), including 60 with BPC (32 boys and 28 girls) and 60 without BPC (controls; 30 boys and 30 girls), who were divided into three age groups (12-14, 14-16, and 16-18 years). The centroid and lingual transverse arch widths, dental arch perimeters, dental arch depths, and buccolingual angulation of the molar teeth in the maxillary and mandibular regions were evaluated using scanned three-dimensional dental models. RESULTS: Dental arch parameters and buccolingual molar angulation did not significantly differ between the different age groups in either the patients with BPC or the controls (p>0.05). However, several dental arch width parameters differed significantly between sexes in both groups, with higher values in boys than in girls (p<0.05). The difference in the upper and lower molar buccolingual angulation between patients with BPC and controls was greater at the age of 16-18 years than the age of 12-14 years (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with BPC have smaller maxillary dental arch widths and larger mandibular intermolar widths than those without BPC. The difference in the molar buccolingual angulation between them increases with advancing age.