Bilateral dentoalveolar asymmetries in female patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Abstract

The aim of this cross-sectional research was to quantify left-right dentoalveolar fluctuating (FA) and directional asymmetries (DA) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and to assess the relationship between these asymmetries and the side, location, and severity of scoliosis. Materials and methods: The study group comprised of 60 females aged 12-16 years, with idiopathic scoliosis, and 54 healthy controls. Measurements were made with the use of digital caliper on full-mouth dental casts. The following variables were measured from each subject: a shift of the incisor midline, left and right incisor overjet, deviation of canine and buccal segment relation as well as maxillary and mandibular arch chords. The data were statistically analyzed with significance taken as p < 0.05. Results: Statistically significant differences in the mean shift of the incisor midline, buccal segment relation on the left and canine deviation on the left between the control group and the study group were detected (p = 0.0419, p = 0.0.458 and p = 0.0204, respectively). FA of the midline deviation and canine deviation were statistically significantly higher for subjects with IS, compared to healthy controls (p = 0.0315 and p = 0.0415, respectively). Neither direction of the curve nor apical vertebra's location or apical translation significantly affected the magnitude of dentoalveolar asymmetries. Conclusions: Our results confirmed that bilateral asymmetries are a common feature of the young females' occlusion. Individuals with IS show higher tendency to Angle Class II malocclusion, as well as higher FA of incisor midline discrepancy and canine deviation, compared to the controls.

How can directional and fluctuating asymmetry help in the prognosis of scoliosis along the course of the condition?

“…This proportion between both types of asymmetry is clearly lower than the one observed in other studies, in which the amount of FA is subtle when compared to the DA effect (Balzeau et al, 2011;Benítez et al, 2020;Valen, 1962). However, in a recent study of FA of the bilateral dentoalveolar asymmetries in patients with AIS, a greater presence of significant FA effect on the bilateral trait has been detected in patients rather than in controls (Lewandowska et al, 2019). This result, which *p-value < 0.05 is statistically significant.…”

Relationship between stomatognathic alterations and idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies

“…A total of 14 studies ( 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ) met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review ( Fig. 1 ).…”

Occlusal deviations in adolescents with idiopathic and congenital scoliosis

“…Although bilateral asymmetries are accepted to be a common feature of occlusions, 16 , 17 , 21 opinions about the etiology of occlusal asymmetries differ. A cross-sectional study by Lewandowska et al 16 confirmed bilateral dentoalveolar asymmetries in patients with adolescent IS. However, another IS study 17 reported a functional lateral mandibular displacement in two individuals.…”

“…Most of the recent research on this topic involved cross-sectional studies that focused on the morphological and functional abnormalities of the stomatognathic system in patients with IS. 16 , 17 However, the dental-occlusal features in patients with congenital scoliosis (CS) have been rarely reported. Therefore, in the present study, we included cases of IS and CS and hypothesized that IS and CS patients have different patterns of malocclusions in comparison with healthy children.…”