MESH DIAGRAM ANALYSIS - DEVELOPING A NORM FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS

The mesh analysis is a proportionate cephalometric analysis that enabl es a patient to serve as his or her own control to create a template f rom which to assess skeletal, dental, and craniofacial disharmonies. T he norms for this analysis were originally created from a white, Europ ean American sample. The purposes of this study were: (1) to create a normal mesh diagram from a black, African American population; (2) to compare mesh diagrams from black and white Americans; and (3) to evalu ate the usefulness of a panel of diverse members in selecting subjects . All subjects were black Americans of African descent, had no prior o rthodontic treatment, and had Class I dental occlusion with minimal cr owding (4 mm or less). The panel selected as esthetically pleasing 18 males and 25 females from a group of 77 patients meeting the study cri teria. Male and female normal mesh diagrams were created from the ceph alographs and compared with Caucasian normal diagrams developed by Moo rrees in 1976. Linear and angular components of the hard and soft tiss ues were compared. Comparisons were also made with previously publishe d normal values. Differences between the African American and Caucasia n samples were more notable close to the dentoalveolar complex. Simila rities were limited to the soft tissue of the upper face, the cranial base, and the midface. Analysis of the panel selection results did not suggest any trends between or within race, sex, or occupation of the panel members. However, agreement between the races was good.