Lateral cephalometric norms for adolescent Kuwaitis: hard tissue measurements.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to establish lateral cephalometric hard tissue norms for adolescent Kuwaitis and to compare them with published norms.


METHODS
Digital lateral cephalograms were made of 162 Kuwaitis (82 boys and 80 girls of mean age 13.27 +/- 0.42 years and 13.21 +/- 0.43 years, respectively), with almost ideal occlusion. Anatomic landmarks were identified directly on the digital images. Linear and angular measurements were calculated electronically using the Dolphin version 9 software package.


RESULTS
The average subject in the sample had a steeper mandibular plane, a more convex profile with a tendency for reduced chin protrusion, and a more protrusive dentition than the norms of the common analysis systems. In addition, the ranges of the skeletal and dentoalveolar parameters were larger than those reported in the above-mentioned norms. Gender differences were limited to maxillary and mandibular length and lower anterior facial height.


CONCLUSIONS
The present findings indicate that Kuwaiti norms for incisor inclination and protrusion should be used as a reference when making the extraction decision in Kuwaiti orthodontic patients, and that the variation in skeletal relationships among subjects with satisfactory occlusal compensations is larger than previously documented, suggesting a need for establishing different norms for different skeletal patterns.
Northern Nuqra Medical Complex, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
Badreia
B
Al-Jame
Jon
J
Artun
Rashed
R
Al-Azemi
Faraj
F
Behbehani
Sana
S
Buhamra
D000293:Adolescent; D002508:Cephalometry; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*