Relationship between Maxillary and Mandibular Base Length and Type of Malocclusion

The aim of this paper is to analyse different variables which describe the size of mandibular and maxillary bases related to the different types of malocclusions. The study sample consisted of 218 adolescent orthodontic patients, mean age 15.8 years and all the measurements were done on the lateral cephalometric films taken at the beginning of the orthodontic treatment. The orthodontic diagnostic of Angle class malocclusion was established after orthodontic file examination. For all the patients were measured the maxillary length, the total length of the mandible, the length of the horizontal ramus, the angle between the cranial base planum and the mandibular plane and the gonial angle. All these values were represented according to Angle class type of malocclusion. The results showed that the sizes of the maxillary and mandibular bases are in a relative relation to the type of malocclusion, but they are not determinant for the aetiology and for the diagnostic of the malocclusion; in many cases the malocclusion is more dentally expressed or is due to the position of the jaws in sagittal and vertical plane.