Facial Asymmetry Assessment in Orthodontic Patients with Posteroanterior Cephalometric Analysis

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate and analyze the parameters of facial development, on postero-anterior teleradiographies in a group of 15 patients, who were diagnosed with dental or transverse dento-skeletal anomalies that caused facial asymmetries, with the aim of evaluating parameters from the frontal cephalometric analysis that is of the greatest help in the correct diagnosis of asymmetries. Patients were selected based on the indication for frontal teleradiography within the Clinic of U.M.F. "Victor Babeş" Timişoara and were between 15 and 36 years old, 60% female and 30% male. Parameters were evaluated using the posteroanterior analysis described by Ricketts and Grummons and Kappeyne Van De Koppello. Cephalometric measurements were performed with the AudaxCeph program version 5.0 and 6.0, thus avoiding human error that can inevitably occur when drawing by hand. The data were collected in the database, and the standard deviation and mean were calculated for the group of women and men. Independent T-test samples did not reveal statistically significant differences between women and men, but between the 2 age groups did. The frontal analysis described by Rickett revealed five studies with a high degree of asymmetry. The independent T-test between the group of patients with low facial asymmetry and the high asymmetry group had statistically significant results for maxillomandibular line deviation, facial symmetry and nasal width.