275 - Orthodontic treatment of patients with skeletal class III Down syndrome

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality in humans, affecting 1 in 600–2000 people. Patients with Down syndrome typically have maxillary hypoplasia, so more than half of them tend to have a class III malocclusion. This report presents two patients with Down syndrome diagnosed with skeletal class III malocclusion. Treatment involved rapid palatal expansion and use of a facemask, and pre- and post-treatment results were compared through cephalometric X-ray analysis. In both patients, the maxillary and mandibular relationship improved because of the forward movement of the maxilla after treatment, resulting in the resolution of the anterior crossbite. Furthermore, rapid palatal expansion improved obstructive sleep apnea in one patient. These cases suggest that conventional treatments for skeletal class III malocclusion can be effectively applied in patients with Down syndrome.

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