Role of cephalometery in evaluation of vertical dimension

ABSTRACT

The objective of the present study was to determine the vertical dimension by comparing hard and soft tissues through lateral cephalographs. To show that these measures are compatible with the routinely used methods plus records for future complete denture fabrications. It is a descriptive study and was carried out at the Prosthodontic Department of Lahore Medical and Dental College, Lahore from July 2011 to January 2012. A total of twenty completely edentulous patients of both genders were selected and age range was 40 years and above. Demographic data and informed consent of all the patients were obtained. The exclusion criteria included any facial asymmetry, congenital and acquired orofacial deformity and patients not willing to undergo radiography. The cephalographs of each patient was carried out at 2 stages, before and after the insertion of the complete dentures. With the help of lateral cephalographs the hard and the soft tissues were compared. The Rickets cephalometric analysis was to analyze the hard tissues from both the first and second lateral cephalographs for measuring the vertical dimension. The Burstone analysis was used to analyze the soft tissues. The results of the present study showed that the pre and post difference of the skeletal proportions when compared from both the cephalographs was insignificant .Furthermore the stability in the skeletal vertical dimension was observed in Pakistani population. In addition the soft tissue proportions remained near 1 [G-Sn/Sn-Me]. It was concluded that the lateral cephalographic method can be used to evaluate the vertical dimension in the Pakistani population and is complementary to the routinely used methods for the complete denture fabrication