Expansion of permanent first molars with rapid maxillary expansion appliance anchored on primary second molars

Background To evaluate how the amount of expansion of the primary second molars, the patient's age, and the skeletal maturation stage influence the amount of expansion at the level of the permanent first molars. Material and methods Fifty-five patients aged between 6 and 11 years with a cervical vertebral maturation stage of CS1 or CS2 were retrospectively selected. The intermolar width was measured before and after expansion to evaluate the amount of expansion achieved at the level of the primary second molars and the permanent first molars. Stepwise multiple linear regression was used to evaluate how the amount of primary molars expansion, the patient's age, and the cervical vertebral mat…