A study into the clinical effects of the rapid palatal expansion

This thesis contains different studies on the effects of the rapid palatal expansion.The purpose of this thesis is to investigate some of the effects of palatal expansion which are still unaddressed in literature. The first part of the thesis, after a brief introduction to the transverse maxillary contraction and palatal expansion, will outline the results of clinical trials that relate to the non-orthodontic effects that palatal expansion may have on: cervical vertebrae, posture and upper airways.The second part will show the first results, from an orthodontical point of view, of a multicentric randomized clinical trial designed to analyze the possible different effects of palatal expander anchored on deciduous or permanent teeth.