Objectives To compare and assess hearing capacity between children with maxillary constriction and those with normal maxillary width. To evaluate the correlation between arch width and hearing capacity. Materials and Methods In this cross‑sectional study, 70 orthodontic patients in the late mixed dentition stage were divided into two groups. The experimental group ( n = 35) included individuals with maxillary constriction, defined by an interpalatal molar width (IPMW) smaller than 34.92 mm and an IPMW-to-intercanine width (ICW) ratio around 1.15-1. The control group ( n = 35) had normal maxillary dimensions and well‑aligned arches with no crowding or spacing, and with IPMW greater than 37.45 mm and an IPMW-to-ICW ratio near 1:1 ± 0.05. Maxillary arch width was measured on dental casts using a vernier caliper, and hearing thresholds were assessed using pure-tone audiometry in a sound-isolated chamber, and pure-tone air conduction averages were taken. Statistical tests were analyzed using unpaired t -tests and Pearson’s correlation. Results The experimental group showed significantly higher mean hearing thresholds (~28 dB) bilaterally compared to controls (~15 dB) ( P < .0001). A strong negative correlation was observed between maxillary arch width and hearing threshold in the constricted group ( r ≈ −0.49 left, r ≈ −0.44 right), indicating that narrower arches were associated with poorer hearing. No significant correlation was found in the control group. Conclusions Children with a constricted maxillary arch width demonstrated mild but significant bilateral conductive hearing loss. The findings support a strong relationship between transverse maxillary deficiency and auditory function, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary evaluation in orthodontic patients.
Anumallasetty et al. (2026) studied this question.