Comparative evaluation of cephalometric and occlusal characteristics between the Long Face pattern and Pattern I

OBJECTIVE: To compare the cephalometric and intraoral characteristics between Long Face pattern and Pattern I patients, besides evaluating associations between subjective facial patterns, cephalometric facial patterns and the intraoral characteristics. METHODS: Through evaluation of frontal and right side extraoral photographs, three previously calibrated and experienced examiners selected 30 Long Face patients (Group 1) and 30 Pattern I patients (Group 2), aged between 9 and 19 years, of both genders. The cephalometric characteristics were assessed by the following variables: SN.GoGn, NS.Gn, AIFH, SNA, SNB, ANB, 1.1, 1.NA,1-NA, 1.NB, 1-NB, NA.Po, nasolabial angle and H-Nose. Clinical evaluations were also performed to determine the presence of posterior crossbite, anterior open bite and type of Angle's malocclusion. The cephalometric data were compared by independent t test. The chi-square test was used to evaluate the association between qualitative variables. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between groups regarding the variables SN.GoGn, NS.Gn, AIFH, ANB, NA.Pog, 1-NA, 1.NB and 1-NB, with an increase of these measures in Group 1. There were also significant differences between groups on variable 1.1, being lower in Group 1 than in Group 2. CONCLUSIONS: The Long Face was associated to Angle Class II malocclusion, to the presence of posterior crossbite and to anterior open bite. The Long Face subjective facial pattern was associated to dolichofacial cephalometric pattern.