Cephalometric criteria in adolescents with anterior open bite in northern east of Iran

Introduction: Open bite is concerned as a malocclusion with a difficult treatment and challenging stability . Being aware of etiologic factors of anterior open bite is essential for correct diagnosis and convenient treatment planning. The aim of this study was to evaluate cephalometric criteria in open bite adolescent patients in Mashhad.
Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, Lateral cephalograms of 40 patients with anterior open bite as case group, and 40 patients with normal overbite and classI molar and canine relationship as control group were selected. Cephalometric criteria were determined and compared in two groups. To compare two groups Student's t-test with 0.05 significance level was used. Cephalometric parameters in males and females within each group, and between the total samples of two groups were compared.
Results:There was no significant difference between cephalometric parameters of males and females in each group. In comparing the total samples of two groups Yaxis-SN, lower facial height, anterior facial height, FH-SN, ManP-SN, ManP-FH, ManP-PP, U1-SN, U1-FH, U1-PP, and ANB were significantly greater in open bite group while PFH/AFH, UFH/LFH, and IMPA was significantly lower in this group. There was no significant difference between two groups in other cephalometric criteria.
Conclusion:This study demonstrated that in open bite patients there is tendency toward:
1-ClassII skeletal relationship                  2-Vertical growth and increase in LFH     
3-Labial inclination of upper incisors       4- Lingual inclination of lower incisors