ABSTRACT

To investigate the cephalometric characteristics of Turkish children with Class III malocclusion and compare them with to those of children with clinically normal occlusion during the mixed dentition phase.

Lateral cephalometric radiographs of 80 children with Class III malocclusion (mean age, 10.23 years) and 80 subjects with normal occlusion (mean age, 10.79 years) were examined for the study. Mean values of 13 linear and 21 angular cephalometric parameters were measured and compared.

Sagittal skeletal measurements included SNB (Class III, 81.82 ± 4.26; control group, 74.5 ± 3.86; p<.001), ANB (Class III, −2.35 ± 2.02; control group, 2.4 ± 1.17; p<.0001), Pg to Nasion vertical (Class III, −5.70 ± 2.68; control group, −9.60 ± 3.21; p<.05), Wits appraisal (Class III, −5 ± 4.57; control group, −0.8 ± 2.44; p<.05), Co-A (Class III, 79.38 ± 2.19; control group, 83.94 ± 2.64; p<.01) and Co-Gn (Class III, 105.7 ± 2.04; control group, 102.4 ± 1.15; p<.05). Vertical skeletal analysis included Gonial angle (Class III, 132.6 ± 7.15; control group, 122.1 ± 6.6; p<.01), and S-Ar length (Class III, 28.31 ± 0.9; control group, 30.2 ± 1.4; p<.05). Dentoalveolar measurements included U1 to SN (Class III, 107.96 ± 8.13; control group, 98.4 ± 8.19; p<.05). Soft tissue measurements included soft tissue convexity (Class III, 173.4 ± 3.68; control group, 165.9 ± 3.25; p<.01).

The findings of the study indicated that effective mandibular length was larger in Class III groups and effective maxillary length was smaller in Class III groups.