Effects of non-surgical rapid maxillary expansion on nasal structures and breathing: A systematic review.

Objective: This systematic review aims to determine the effects of non-surgical rapid maxillary expansion (RME) on breathing and upper airway structures.

Materials And Methods: An electronic search of the scientific literature from January 2005 to June 2016 was done using Web of Science, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source and PubMed databases. A combination of search terms "rapid maxillary expansion", "nasal", "airway" and "breathing" were used. Studies that involved surgical or combined RME-surgical treatments and patients with craniofacial anomalies were excluded.

Results: The initial screening yielded a total of 183 articles. After evaluation of the titles, abstracts and accessing the full text, a total of 20 articles fulfilled both inclusion/exclusion criteria and possessed adequate evidence to be incorporated into this review.

Conclusions: Non-surgical RME was found to improve breathing, increase nasal cavity geometry and decrease nasal airway resistance in children and adolescents.