Overbite depth and anteroposterior dysplasia indicators: the relationship between occlusal and skeletal patterns using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

This study was carried out to investigate the validity of the overbite depth indicator (ODI) and the anteroposterior dysplasia indicator (APDI), based on the cephalometric analysis of 122 Caucasians selected at random for assessment of vertical and sagittal relationships. Considering the occlusion, the sample was divided into three classifications in the sagittal component: 36 cases of neutrocclusion, 54 cases of distocclusion, and 34 cases of mesiocclusion. The sample was also categorized according to the overbite relationship: 54 cases of normal overbite, 34 cases of open bite, and 34 cases of deep overbite. In the sagittal component analysis, the APDI measurement resulted in significant differences between the neutrocclusion, distocclusion, and mesiocclusion groups. In the vertical component analysis, the ODI significantly distinguished between the normal and deep overbite groups, and the open bite and deep overbite groups, but not between the normal overbite and the open bite groups. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the APDI matched the anteroposterior molar relationship in 88 per cent, and the ODI matched the amount of incisor overbite in 81 per cent.