Classification of the skeletal variation in the normal occlusion

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to classify the anteroposterior and vertical skeletal pattern of normal occlusion samples into specific types with factor and hierarchical cluster analysis, and to evaluate the range and limit of skeletal relationships that permit the establishment of normal occlusion via natural dentoalveolar compensation. Lateral cephalograms of 294 normal occlusion samples were measured, as selected from 15,836 persons through a community dental health survey who cooperated in record taking. Using a factor analysis, two factors representing anteroposterior and vertical skeletal relationships were extracted from 18 skeletal measurements. Then cluster analysis classified the skeletal patterns into nine types. The means and the standard deviations of 8 anteroposterior skeletal measurements and 10 vertical skeletal measurements were determined and comparisons of these measurements among the types were performed. The results obtained in this study showed that the range of normal occlusion included very diverse anteroposterior and vertical skeletal relationships.