A longitudinal study of the relationship between long-face and anterior facial height

Abstract

1. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the anterior facial height of long-, normal- and short-faced children during growth and to discover whether long-faced subjects have long dimensions in both the upper and lower anterior facial heights compared to others.

2. Methods: Longitudinal lateral cephalometric data of 167 children (83 females and 84 males) from 6 to 14 years of age were used. Total anterior facial height (TAFH), upper anterior facial height (UAFH), lower anterior facial height (LAFH) and the closest distance from the Frankfort horizontal plane (FH) to the nasion (NFH) were measured. The samples were classified as long-, normal- and short-faced according to the LAFH/TAFH at 14 years old. All data were analyzed statistically and compared between groups according to age.

3. Results: The mean LAFH in the long-faced group were larger than in the normal- and short-faced groups for all ages in both sexes. In contrast, subjects in the normal group had a longer mean UAFH than subjects in the long-faced and short-faced groups. In addition, the mean UAFH of the short faced group was larger than the long faced group in case of female in all ages and in case of male in 12, 13, 14 years.

4. Conclusions: The long-faced children did not have longer upper facial heights compared to normal- and short-faced children and their long face is mainly determined by the length of the lower face.