Investigation of craniofacial morphology in patients with hypo- and oligodontia.

AIM: This cephalometric study was performed with the intention to qualify and quantify differences between the craniofacial morphology in persons with congenitally missing teeth (hypo- and oligodontia) in comparison with the craniofacial morphology in persons without missing teeth. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Lateral cephalograms of 42 (21 female, 21 male) patients were traced. Patient mean age at the time the radiographs were taken was 13.39+/-7.30 years. The sample was divided into two groups: There were 22 patients in the oligodontia group (11 f, 11 m). The group of those with hypodontia contained 20 persons (10 f, 10 m). The growth study by Riolo et al. served as the control.
RESULTS: Patients with congenitally missing teeth compared to those with complete dentition showed reduced maxillary and mandibular length (p<0.001). The mandible was prognathic, the chin positioned more anteriorly (angleSNB p<0.05, angleSNPog p<0.01). The overall anterior face height was noticeably lower as a result of the shortening of both upper anterior and lower anterior face heights (p<0.001). Comparison between patients with oligodontia and those with hypodontia revealed statistically significant differences in only two dentoalveolar measurements.
CONCLUSION: There were significant morphologic differences between patients with congenitally missing teeth and patients with complete dentition. Additional differentiation between oligodontia and hypodontia revealed only few differences.