Facial divergence and mandibular crowding in treated subjects

• Published in: The Angle orthodontist Vol. 83; no. 3; pp. 381 - 388
• Main Authors: Goldberg, Avrum I., Behrents, R. G., Oliver, Donald R., Buschang, Peter H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Edward H Angle Education and Research Foundation, Inc 01.05.2013
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Cephalometry; Dental Arch - growth & development; Female; Humans; Male; Malocclusion - therapy; Mandible - growth & development; Maxillofacial Development - physiology; Models, Dental; Original; Orthodontics, Corrective - methods; Sex Factors; Statistics, Nonparametric; Vertical Dimension
• ISSN: 0003-3219; 1945-7103; 1945-7103
• DOI: 10.2319/061912-505.1

To understand the relationships between facial divergence, vertical growth, and postretention mandibular crowding. Seventy-five white extraction patients were evaluated immediately posttreatment (15.4 years) and again 16.6 years later. Hyperdivergent subjects, subjects with open bite or severe deep bites were not evaluated. Changes in incisor irregularity and tooth-size arch-length discrepancies (TSALD) were evaluated and correlated with measures of divergence and skeletal growth. Incisor irregularity increased 0.9 mm and TSALD increased 0.7 mm after treatment; 68% of the subjects had less than 3.5 mm incisor irregularity at postretention. Male patients showed significantly more growth than female patients did. Female patients, who were significantly more hyperdivergent than male patients, showed weak to moderately weak associations between posttreatment facial divergence and crowding. Female posttreatment changes in anterior face height, lower incisor eruption, and changes in arch depth were also related to crowding; male patients showed moderate relationships between posttreatment changes in arch width and crowding. Greater vertical growth, incisor eruption, and especially facial divergence are related to greater posttreatment mandibular crowding.