A comparison of maxillary arch form between groups of cerebral palsied and normal children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the maxillary dental arch form and palatal vault form between 98 cerebral palsied and 76 normal children. All subjects were divided into three categories based on their dental eruption. The cerebral palsy subjects were further divided into the regional classifications of diplegia, paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia, and the descriptive classifications of spasticity, athetosis, and mixed. The maxillary dental arch form was described by an index number which reflected intercuspid width, intermolar width, anterior-posterior length, and degree of divergence of the posterior segments. The palatal vault form v1as described by the angle of divergence of the palatal walls at an established reference point from a cross-sectional view. All measurements were made from study models and Xerox photocopies of study model cross-sections. In addition, those occlusal discrepancies that were thought to influence arch form, i.e., posterior unilateral and bilateral crossbite, anterior crossbite, anterior open bite, and posterior dental asymmetry were tabulated. Statistical analysis of the results revealed no significant difference in maxillary dental arch form between the cerebral palsied and normal children. The same held true for palatal vault form. Significant differences did occur between primary, mixed, and permanent dentitions for both cerebral palsied and non-handicapped groups. The results suggest that the neuromuscular handicap has little effect on the form of the maxillary dental arch. On the basis of this study, it appears that there is no particular type of maxillary arch form that is peculiar to cerebral palsy.