Evaluation of Cranial Base Flexion in Connection with Vertical and Sagittal Malocclusions among Orthodontic Patients

Background: Malocclusion is an irregularity concerning teeth alignment. It is a developmental deformity that can occur in teeth or bones. Malocclusion occurs when the bones in the craniofacial region are misaligned due to abnormalities in the shape, size, and position of the skull, upper jaw, and lower jaw. The study is aimed to assess the relationship of cranial base angle in different malocclusion in vertical and sagittal dimension. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted at the Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, LUMHS, Jamshoro, from January 2022 to August 2024. A sample of 118 was recruited via convenience sampling technique. Participants with ages between 13-30 years with complete permanent dentition (assess the chronological age) were included. The lateral Cephalometric radiograph of each participant was obtained and traced for vertical and sagittal skeletal relationships using the Maxillary-Mandibular Plane Angle (MMPA), respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0.  Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies and percentages. A chi-square test was used to evaluate the relationship between variables. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the participants was 19.09+4.35 years. In most of the cases, 63 (48.5%) had sagittal class I and 60 (46.2%) had sagittal class II, while only 7 (5.4%) cases had sagittal class III. For vertical classification of malocclusion, out of all, 55 (42.3%) cases had vertical class I, 48 (36.9%) had vertical class II, and 27 (20.8%) had vertical class III. Conclusion: The study highlighted that sagittal Class II and III malocclusions are significantly more prevalent among younger age groups, particularly between 13–25 years, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. Vertical Class II and III malocclusions also showed a higher frequency in younger participants, though not statistically significant.