Rapid Maxillary Expansion and Olfactory Function in Growing Subjects.

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to evaluate changes in olfactory sensitivity with Sniffin' Sticks® (Burghart Messtechnik, Germany) in patients undergoing palatal expansion. Methods: The study sample consisted of 20 patients enrolled from the Department of Paediatric Dentistry (0–14 year...

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Publicado en:Children Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 61 - 71
Autores principales: Malara, Arianna, Pucci, Giordano Angelo, Maurizi, Riccardo, Di Girolamo, Stefano, Maturo, Paolo, Brescia, Alessia Vincenza, Docimo, Raffaella, Laganà, Giuseppina
Formato: pictorial questionnaire/scale research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: MDPI Jan2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jan2026
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      pub: MDPI
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        10.3390/children13010061
        191259057
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        atl: Rapid Maxillary Expansion and Olfactory Function in Growing Subjects.
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        au:
          Malara, Arianna
          Pucci, Giordano Angelo
          Maurizi, Riccardo
          Di Girolamo, Stefano
          Maturo, Paolo
          Brescia, Alessia Vincenza
          Docimo, Raffaella
          Laganà, Giuseppina
        affil: Department of Paediatric Dentistry (0–14 Years Old), Policlinico of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Roma, Italy
      sug:
        subj:
          Smell Physiology
          Neuropsychological Tests Evaluation
          Orthodontics, Corrective
          Orthodontic Appliances
          Multidisciplinary Care Team
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Child
          Diagnosis, Neurologic Equipment and Supplies
          Questionnaires
          X-Rays
          Effect Size
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test
          Child: 6-12 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Objectives: The aim of the current study was to evaluate changes in olfactory sensitivity with Sniffin' Sticks® (Burghart Messtechnik, Germany) in patients undergoing palatal expansion. Methods: The study sample consisted of 20 patients enrolled from the Department of Paediatric Dentistry (0–14 years old) at the Policlinico of Rome "Tor Vergata", according to the following inclusion criteria: negative posterior transverse interarch discrepancy ≥ 4 mm, mixed dentition phase with first permanent molars erupted and prepubertal skeletal maturation stage (CS1-2), evaluated on a lateral radiograph through the Cervical Vertebral Maturation (CVM) method. Each patient underwent a dental examination, orthopantomography and lateral cephalometric X-rays were requested, and dental impressions were taken using digital scanner. Every patient was treated with maxillary rapid expander and underwent ear, nose, and throat (ENT) assessment before and after treatment. Moreover, questionnaires before and after treatment to obtain a subjective assessment of their olfactory perception were given to all participants. Results: About odor identification, the analyses revealed an increase in mean scores of 1.28; however, this change, although slight, did not reach statistical significance (Z = −1.85; p = 0.064). In contrast, about odor discrimination, the test results indicated a statistically significant increase in the children's scores of 3.41 (Z = −2.87; p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study supports the hypothesis that rapid maxillary expansion (RME) can improve olfactory function by enhancing nasal airway dimensions and airflow. Further studies are required to confirm these results.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        pictorial
        questionnaire/scale
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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