PARTICIPANTS, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, AND SETTING
transverse maxillary deficiency, congenital deformities, crossbite, agenesia, palate, cleft lip, orthodontic
DISEASES
Patients aged 11-14 years, who visited the orthodontic clinic at University of
São Paulo, School of Dentistry between January and July 2018, were screened for
eligibility. Participants who met the eligibility criteria were invited to
participate, and informed consent was obtained from all patients and their
parents or legal guardians. The inclusion criteria were as follows: age between
11 and 14 years, transverse maxillary deficiency, bilateral or unilateral
posterior crossbite, and the presence of maxillary first premolars and maxillary
first permanent molars. The exclusion criteria were: the presence of systemic
diseases, history of previous orthodontic treatment, presence of cleft lip and
palate, presence of congenital deformities, and agenesia or loss of permanent
teeth. 