Characteristics of skeletal class III malocclusion and its associated dento alveolar compensation

ABSTRACT

To determine the extent of contribution of the maxilla to the development of class III malocclusion and the associated dentoalveolar compensation in such patients. Pretreatment cephalometric radiographs of 45 patients were obtained from the records of Department of Orthodontics, Khyber College of Dentistry, Peshawar. Different landmarks namely Sella, Nasion, point A, point B, ANS, PNS, Gonion and Menton were identified and four angular measurements were recorded. Out of 45 patients, 24 were male and 21 female. It was found that 60% of patients had a prognathic mandible, 31% had a retrognathic maxilla, while in 9% of patients both maxilla and mandible were at fault. The dentoalveolar compensation was 93% in maxillary arch and 40% in mandibular arch. This study revealed that majority of class III patients suffered from mandibular protrusion and that maxillary incisors showed greater compensation as compared to mandibular incisors