Patterns of vertical growth in the face.

The purpose of this study was to examine the patterns of facial growth development in subjects with skeletal open-bite and skeletal deep-bite faces. Longitudinal data based on lateral cephalometric radiographs of 16 male and 16 female subjects, ages 3 through 18 years, were used. These subjects were selected on the basis of lower face height as a percentage of total face height. Persons exhibiting extreme values were selected to create four groups with eight subjects in each group. Curves of absolute and incremental growth for total anterior face height, upper anterior face height, lower anterior face height, posterior face height, and ramal length were analyzed statistically and graphically. It was established that the anterior dimensions of the face demonstrated typologically divergent patterns of development in open- and deep-bite faces. Further, the posterior dimensions of the face did not discriminate between these two typological groups. The female open-bite subjects were earliest in the timing of the adolescent growth spurt, followed in succession by deep-bite female subjects, open-bite male subjects, and finally the deep-bite male subjects. The clinical implications of these observations pertain to the timing of orthodontic treatment, the length of retention period, and the prediction of adult occlusal status during the mixed dentition.