Evaluation of hearing in children treated with palatal expansion.

The aim of this presentation is to explore the potential association between rapid palatal expansion (RPE) and decrease in conductive hearing loss. RPE is a common orthopedic treatment for maxillary constriction and/or lateral crossbite(s). This procedure may result in unexpected improvement of nasal breathing and improvement in hearing sensitivity. The underlying mechanism for the latter would consist of the extension of the tensor-veli palatine muscle following the palatal distraction, which opens the Eustachian tube orifice and facilitates air passage, allowing normal function of the middle ear system. Clearcut conclusions are not yet formulated on whether the improvement in hearing is transient or permanent. A thorough review of the literature with methodological shortcomings and design of future studies are reported.