title: Orientation of the occlusal plane in a Class I adult population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To primarily evaluate whether Delaire's ideal occlusal plane is present in Class I occlusal relationship adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pretreatment lateral cephalometric radiographs from 30 orthodontically untreated Caucasian Class I malocclusion adults were obtained. The occlusal, mandibular, and maxillary planes were traced and compared with the ideal occlusal, mandibular, and maxillary planes according to Delaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average occlusal plane was 3.5° below the ideal plane. This divergence was more pronounced in males, and in patients presenting with a hypodivergent skeletal pattern. The maxillary plane displayed on average less than 0.5° of divergence to the ideal. The average mandibular plane showed a divergence of 3.3° below the ideal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When aiming to obtain an ideal orientation of the occlusal plane postoperatively, one must keep in mind that in Class I occlusal relationship adults without any dentofacial disharmony, the occlusal plane is rarely coincident with the ideal plane.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Dental School, University of Geneva, Switzerland. Gregory.Antonarakis@unige.ch
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Antonarakis
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kiliaridis
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scolozzi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008311:Malocclusion, Angle Class I / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies