Facial soft tissue changes in patients following rapid maxillary expansion in children: A systematic review

Our findings suggest that RME results in variable soft tissue facial changes over time. The findings resulted statistically significant for alar width, alar base width, and nasolabial angle, showing changes in the facial soft tissues after non-surgical rapid maxillary expansion, especially in the nasal area. These results, which are directly related to the anatomical effects of the rapid maxillary expansion, need careful consideration by clinicians as the skeletal and the consequent soft tissue changes may be influenced by different factors, i.e. patient age, appliance activation and follow-up duration. PROSPERO reference number: CRD42024505738.