Planas direct tracks to treat functional crossbites in children: scientific evidence

Abstract

Introduction: Posterior functional crossbite is a common malocclusion in children, with a prevalence between 7.5-24 %. It has an important impact on facial functions, and may cause asymmetries in craniofacial development. Different interventions have been used to correct this malocclusion but there is a lack of studies with methodological rigor that support these interventions. Planas Direct Tracks (PDT) constitute one of such interventions. They seek to reestablish the functional occlusal balance of children through selective grinding, complementing this adjustment with composites. Objective: To present the level of scientific evidence available on PDT to correct posterior crossbites. Method: A sensitive search was carried out in the main databases: Pubmed, BVS Odontology, Cochrane, SciElo and Google academic. The articles were selected, duplications removed and critical evaluation of the literature performed classifying the studies according to the evidence pyramid. The aim is to point out ways to improve the quality of the studies. Results: 32 studies were included. 30 studies were narrative reviews, case reports or case series and two were controlled trials. All studies had important biases. No randomized controlled trial was found. Conclusion: So far, there are no studies, sufficiently rigorous methodology, on Planas direct tracks to correct functional crossbites.