Dental and skeletal characteristics and growth in Class III malocclusion between skeletal ages of 10 and 14

Min, Seungki; Lee, Young Jun; Park, Young Guk; Rothstein, Ted

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate growth changes and skeletal characteristics of Korean children with Class III malocclusions from 10 to 14 years of skeletal age. Radiographs of 60 children with Class III malocclusion and 60 normal controls were assessed. Both groups were subdivided into 6 samples according to sex and skeletal age. Skeletal age was assessed using handwrist X-rays using the Greulich and Pyle norms. The Krogman-Walker plane (occipitale-maxillon) through Sella was used as a reference plane in this study with y-axis perpendicular to the x-axis. Six Student t-tests were conducted to compare the control group with the Class III group according to each gender and age. The characteristics of Class III malocclusion group compared to the control group included shorter anterior and posterior cranial base, shorter and retrusive maxilla, longer mandible, increased molar-incisor distance, retroclined lower incisors, labially proclined upper incisors, and anteriorly located mandibular molar, smaller upper and middle facial depth, and larger lower facial depth. Landmarks representing facial depth, size of maxilla and mandible, and their AP relationship including anterior facial height indicate that growth characteristic was determined early in life. But growth pattern of cranial base and some of the dental landmarks showed progressive divergence between Control and Class III groups with age. The position of the posterior border of the mandible was found to be significantly forward in both females and males by the age of 14 and at the anterior border in males and females at all ages. Hyperdivergent mandibular plane, changes in anterior segment of mandible, small anterior cranial base, and decrease in cranial base flexure was also noted.