Craniofacial parameters during growth from the deciduous to permanent dentition--a longitudinal study.

Data on the dynamics of craniofacial growth, obtained by simple non-invasive measurements, are scarce in comparison with those collected by cephalometric methods. The aim of this study was to measure a number of craniofacial parameters, and to evaluate their changes during transition from the deciduous to the permanent dentition. A sample of 61 subjects (32 boys and 29 girls) were followed longitudinally by annual examination from an initial mean age of 4.7 years to a final mean age of 11.8 years. Conventional anthropometric instruments were employed to measure six craniofacial variables: G-Op, Eu-Eu, Zy-Zy, Go-Go, N-Gn and N-Pr. The data were analysed using basic summary statistics and a longitudinal regression model. A difference between males and females was found for all variables during the study period. During the transition from deciduous to mixed dentition (4.7-7.5 years), the cranial breadth and length (Eu-Eu and G-Op) decreased followed by an increase during the mixed dentition. All other parameters showed a continuous increase, which was highest for the variables defining facial height.

Morphological cephalometric differences between two European populations.

Earlier research in craniofacial morphology of the inhabitants of Mainz (Germany) and Zagreb (Croatia), who represent the populations of wider areas, have shown some roentgen-cephalometric differences. The aim of this study is to determine the craniofacial morphologic differences of these populations in three dimensions. The sample consists of 200 adult examinees, male and female respectively, inhabiting the mentioned areas. The sample has been chosen so that the examinees with prominent craniofacial anomalies have been excluded. Twenty three craniofacial parameters with the usual anthropometric instruments have been measured. The data have been processed by using elementary descriptive statistics and discriminant analysis. The results have shown that in Mainz examinees longer and narrower heads and higher faces in comparison with Zagreb examinees, predominate. Significant differences in forehead widths and bipupilar distances have been found.

[Secular trend as a factor of craniofacial morphological changes]. / Sekularni trend kao cinilac kraniofacijalnih morfoloskih promjena.

The study was carried out in two age-matched groups of patients from two different periods of time. The aim of the study was to determine whether any craniofacial system alterations attributable to the influence of secular trend had occurred during a defined period of time. Four basic craniofacial variables, from which the craniofacial indices were derived, were measured. The findings were statistically processed by the basic parameter evaluation and testing of differences of arithmetical means of the same variables between the two study groups. The results showed the following alterations to have occurred during a 13-year period due to the secular trend effects: cranial indices decreased, mostly by a significant cranial length increase (g-op); and facial indices decreased, mostly by a facial height decrease (n-gn).

[The changes of the occlusal relationship from deciduous to the permanent dentition in the longitudinal sample]. / Promjene okluzijskih odnosa na prijelazu mlijecne u trajnu denticiju kod longitudinalno pracenog uzorka.

The examination of the dynamics of the changes in sagittal, vertical and transversal occlusal relationship has been carried out on the sample of the 66 examinees of the both sexes. The children were examined for the first time at the age of 3.7 years, the again three times repeatedly (within a year) during the first period of the change of teeth. The occlusal changes were registered on the plaster models using the regular standard equipment. The results of the examination of the 4 gnathometric variables (class, overjet, overbite and the transversal occlusal relationship) have demonstrated the following: in 50% examinees the class remained unchanged; the total number of the examinees with class II as well as with uneven occlusal relationship, in the right and left quadrant have increased visibly; the early findings of class II have demonstrated very high stability; the inclination toward the increase of the overjet has been higher in the relation to the reduction; somewhat greater number has been recorded in the group on the overjet above 3 mm; overbite in the major part of the examinees has become deeper; the change from the open, tete a tete, minimal bite to the normal and deep bite has been recorded; the transversal occlusal relationship have remained unchanged in 60% of the cases; the frequency of the new transversal disarrangement in the mixed dentition has been three times higher in the relation to the earlier findings; also the cases of the spontaneous correction of the transversal disarrangement in the deciduous dentition have been recorded.

[Endodontic treatment in patients at risk]. / Endodontsko lijecenje u rizicnih bolesnika.

The course of the endodontic treatment of periapical process in a patient with renal engraftment is described. Such a patient is under a constant cytostatic therapy suppressing the immune system, thus the risk of the endodontic treatment failure being higher, with the possibility of patient's health impairment. Preparation, premedication and performance of endodontic therapy applicable in patients at risk are described and explained. Consultations with respective medical professionals were necessary, pointing to the need of an interdisciplinary approach in such patients.

[Growth dynamics of the four main craniofacial dimensions in relation to orthodontic finding--a longitudinal study]. / Dinamika rasta cetiri osnovne kraniofacijalne dimenzije s obzirom na ortodontski nalaz--longitudinalna studija.

Analysis of growth dynamics of the four main craniofacial dimensions at the transition point from primary into mixed dentition was performed in order to better determine the effect of individual orthodontic anomalies starting to manifest at that time, on the direction and extent of the alterations observed. A sample consisting of 73 children aged 3.5-5.5 years, free of any overt symptoms of orthodontic anomalies, were re-examined at the age of 6.5-8.5 years and divided into groups according to orthodontic findings then obtained. Mean values (and their differences) of the defined parameters obtained on the first and second measurement were analyzed, both for the sample in total and separately, according to the orthodontic findings in mixed dentition. Based on this data, specific relationships between alterations in each craniofacial dimension and maxillary morphology, specific for particular anomaly, were determined. In the group free of growth dynamics anomalies, both facial and both cranial parameters were almost identical. More or less expressed alterations of a single facial or cranial parameter in dysgnathic subjects may have been related to oral symptoms of the respective anomaly. At the same time, results obtained in the study suggested the size of the four main craniofacial dimensions to differ as early as in primary dentition, and become grouped, depending on the development of future orthodontic anomaly.

[Craniofacial dimensions in twins]. / Kraniofacijalni parametri kod blizanaca.

In order to estimate the role of the genetic and ecological factors in the craniofacial growth, study has been made on 36 monozygotic (MZ) and 31 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs of the same sex. Standard anthropological instruments were used. The following dimensions were examined: the stature, Eu-Eu, G-Op, Zy-Zy, Go-Go, N-Gn and N-Pr. The results are represented in 2 tables and 3 histograms. The result indicate the largest variability of N-Pr and the smallest variability of Zy-Zy within the MZ twins while within the DZ twin pairs it is revers, which suggests that the bizygomatic width is more genetically dependent than the upper height of the face. No statistically significant differences occur within the MZ pairs, except for the stature. On the other hand, within DZ pairs the differences are statistically significant (except for G-Op). The intracorrelations are greater for all the MZ variables. The heredity and cultural inheritance index show higher value of c2 for all variables, which suggests a higher influence of the environmental than that of the genetic factors (h2). A hypothesis would be that the shape of the head and the upper facial height are easily influenced than the Zy-Zy and the morphological face height.

[Dynamics of the growth of craniofacial structures-a longitudinal study]. / Dinamika rasta kraniofacijalnih struktura-longitudinalna studija.

The frequency of basal cranial and facial forms, and of craniofacial indices, was analyzed to obtain some additional information on the craniofacial growth during a dynamic interval of the conversion of primary into mixed dentition. A sample of 72 children aged 3.5-5.5 years, free of any symptoms of orthodontic anomalies, were re-evaluated at the age of 6.5-8.5 years. The children were divided into groups according to anomalies possibly present on the second examination. Analysis of the subject distribution into cranial and facial forms revealed slight alterations during the period of observation. Therefore, analysis of the magnitude and frequency of index alterations was also included in the study. These analyses led to a conclusion that changes in the craniofacial form were quite frequently present but their intensity was too low for a subject to be allocated to the other basal group. A relationship between the craniofacial form alteration and maxillary morphology specific for particular anomaly could also be discerned. Thus, alterations in each individual dimension included in the indices, occurring during the mentioned interval, should be analyzed to shed more light upon the problem.

[Gnathometric changes in examinees with and without early findings of crowding--a longitudinal study]. / Gantometrijske promjene u ispitanika sa i bez ranog nalaza kompresije--longitudinalna studija.

The longitudinal sample of children of both sexes (31 without crowding and 39 with crowding) has been investigated to examine the influence of clinically estimated findings in the deciduous dentition in the volume of jaw growth as well as in the occurrence of some malocclusions in the mixed dentition. The children were examined for the first time at the age of 4.5 and again 3 years later. The results have pointed out the following: there was no essential difference in the volume of transversal and sagittal jaw growth in reference to early findings; in both groups the significant enlargement of transversal and sagittal dimensions was recorded; mean of the width of the upper dental arch are significantly higher in the group without crowding in primary dentition; mean of the length of the upper dental arch are somewhat higher in the examinees with early findings of crowding at the first examination, namely in the examinees without early finding of crowding at the second examination; mean of the overjet are somewhat higher in the group with early finding of crowding; distribution of the examinees in the mixed dentition according the orthodontic diagnosis does not show essential differences in regard to early finding; the largest number of the examinees in the mixed dentition shows the symptoms of the primary crowding regardless of the earlier findings; only 29.1% examinees without early finding of crowding, maintain the same characteristic in the mixed dentition; in the 26.4% examinees with early finding of crowding, there comes to the spontaneous loss of the primary symptoms during the change of teeth namely to the transfer to the group with no crowding.