Malocclusion and facial morphology is there a relationship? An epidemiologic study.

The purpose of this study is to examine associations between facial morphology and malocclusion, and to test for sexual dimorphism in such relationships. The sample of 500 subjects is studied by roentgenographic cephalometry, using the Facial Height Ratio (FHR) of Jarabak as the mensurational approach to describe craniofacial morphology. Significant findings are: Neutral pattern is dominant in Class I and Class II1 malocclusions. Hypodivergent pattern is dominant in Class II2 and Class III malocclusions. The majority of females demonstrate a neutral pattern, whereas the majority of males demonstrate a hypodivergent pattern. Sexual dimorphism in pattern is greatest in Class II1 and Class III. Males show a greater tendency toward prognathism, while females tend toward orthognathism and retrognathism. Mean values of all linear measurements in males are larger than in females. Relatively strong correlations are found between facial height ratio and ramus height, gonial angle, lower gonial angle, mandibular plane angle, occlusal/mandibular plane angle, palatal/mandibular plane angle, Frankfurt/mandibular plane angle, S-N-B, Y-axis angle, and the sum of the saddle + articular + gonial angles.