CRANIOFACIAL MORPHOLOGY IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE CONGENITALLY MISSING PERMANENT TEETH

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the n umber of congenitally missing permanent teeth, excluding third molars, and the craniofacial morphology. The sample comprised 118 children wi th five or more congenitally missing teeth. Twenty-seven reference poi nts were digitized from lateral cephalometric radiographs and 13 angul ar measurements of craniofacial morphology were calculated. After an i nitial analysis, the sample was divided into two subsamples, one with 5-12 missing teeth and the other with 13-21 missing teeth. Within each subsample there was no significant association between number of miss ing teeth and the angular variables, but a comparison between the two subsamples showed significantly smaller mandibular plane inclination ( NSL/ML, NL/ML) and gonial angle (RL/ML), and a more prognathic mandibl e (s-n-pg) in the subsample with more than 12 teeth missing. It is sug gested that the difference in morphology could be due to a reduced ver tical development of the lower face, caused by a reduced occlusal supp ort in the subsample with more than 12 congenitally missing teeth.