MANAGMENT STRATEGIES FOR CHILDREN DURING THE MIXED DENTITION PHASE: PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PREVENTION

This paper describes the results of observing children aged 7–10 years diagnosed with distal occlusion and/or combined with a deep overbite, dental arch narrowing, crowded incisors, or signs of developing dentofacial pathology. The subject of the study is the effectiveness of using a removable intermaxillary plate orthodontic appliance of combined action with intermittent wear for dental arch narrowing, combined with signs of developing pathology in the vertical and sagittal planes. Objective of the Study: The objective is to analyze the effectiveness of the orthodontic treatment conducted using a removable plate appliance of combined action, single-jaw intermaxillary action, and fractional wear type. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics, and Prevention of Dental Diseases of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Izhevsk State Medical University" of the Ministry of Health of Russia. The study group included 30 children aged 7–10 years. The diagnostic complex included clinical and radiological examinations, and anthropometric measurements of plaster dental models. Results: The average age of the study group was 8.7 ±0.23 years. The apical base width before treatment was 39.39 ±0.34 % for the upper jaw and 37.99 ±0.39 % for the lower jaw. By the end of the observation period, these values increased to 41.57 ±0.28 % and 39.20 ±0.30 %, respectively. The Korkhaus index for the lower jaw was 15.49 ±0.24 mm before treatment and 16.06 ±0.18 mm after one year. There was no statistically significant difference for the upper jaw. Evaluation of canine position based on orthopantomography data showed an improvement in their spatial arrangement within the bone relative to the midline after treatment. Conclusions: The implemented therapeutic and preventive measures resulted in dental arch expansion, improved apical base width parameters, and good control over the formation of the anterior segment of the dental arch, bringing it closer to physiological norms. For secondary prevention of occlusal pathology during the mixed dentition period, the use of a removable intermaxillary plate orthodontic appliance of combined action with intermittent wear is advisable.