Craniofacial growth: evolving paradigms.

AIMS

Numerous theories about craniofacial growth have been formulated in the last century. The most influential hypotheses were: genetic, synthetic and functional matrix revisited. Moreover, a large number of experts from different fields tried to explain craniofacial growth and its developmental mechanisms, in order to deliver the best treatment possible to orthodontic patients. The aim of this review is to summarize recent concepts on craniofacial growth, overlap these theories with the development of the general scientific knowledge, and suggest a more integrated multidisciplinary person-based approach.

METHODOLOGY

MEDLINE, EMBASE, Pubmed, CINAHL and Google Scholar were screened from inception to February 2014 for relevant papers. Grey literature was considered as part of the search.

CONCLUSIONS

The influence of new scientific discoveries and intuitions about craniofacial growth produced further insights in orthodontics care, shifting the paradigm from a pre-determined, sectorial treatment to an individualized, multidisciplinary patient-centered approach aiming to enhance the quality of orthodontic assistance.