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Natural head position and lower incisor irregularity

Is there a relationship?

Natürliche Kopfhaltung und Irregularitäten der unteren Frontzähne

Besteht eine Beziehung?

  • Original Article
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Journal of Orofacial Orthopedics / Fortschritte der Kieferorthopädie Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between dynamic measurements of natural head position (NHP) and lower incisor irregularity to identify potential gender differences.

Materials and methods

A total of 103 plaster models and dynamic NHP measurements were taken from 51 male (mean age: 14.20 ± 2.51 years) and 52 female (mean age: 15.02 ± 2.67 years) subjects. The dynamic NHP data were gathered by using an inclinometer device and a portable data logger. Lower incisor irregularity was measured with Little’s irregularity index. The Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis rank tests were used at a significance level of p < 0.05. To evaluate the correlation between NHP and lower incisor irregularity, Spearman correlation coefficients (r) were calculated.

Results

There were significant gender differences in the sagittal measurements of NHP (p = 0.031) and incisor irregularity (p = 0.023). A Kruskal–Wallis test revealed no significant difference in NHP measurements between subjects presenting different levels of irregularity. Females displayed no significant correlation between incisor irregularity and any NHP measurement. However, in the males high correlation coefficients between incisor irregularity and sagittal NHP measurements (r = 0.369; p = 0.008) were noted.

Conclusion

Significant correlations between lower incisor irregularity and sagittal NHP measurements in males were observed. Females had a more forwardly inclined NHP than males. Moreover, male subjects displayed greater incisor irregularity than female subjects.

Zusammenfassung

Zielsetzung

Ziel der Studie war es, eine potenzielle Beziehung zwischen dynamischen Messungen der natürlichen Kopfhaltung (“natural head position”, NHP) und Irregularitäten bei den unteren Schneidezähnen zu untersuchen und ferner mögliche geschlechtsbezogene Unterschiede zu ermitteln.

Material und Methoden

Eingeschlossen in die Studie wurden insgesamt 103 Gipsmodelle sowie dynamische NHP-Messungen von 51 männlichen und 52 weiblichen (Durchschnittsalter 14,20 ± 2,51 bzw. 15,02 ± 2,67 Jahre) Probanden. Zur Erhebung der dynamischen NHP-Daten dienten ein Inklinometer und ein mobiler Datenlogger, zur Bestimmung der Frontzahnstellung der Irregularitätsindex nach Little. Zur statistischen Auswertung wurden der Mann–Whitney-U- und der Kruskal–Wallis-Rangtest bei einem Signifikanzniveau von p < 0,05 verwendet. Zur Evaluierung der Korrelation zwischen NHP und Frontzahnirregularität wurden die Spearman-Korrelationskoeffizienten (r) berechnet.

Ergebnisse

Es zeigten sich geschlechtsbezogene Unterschiede bei sagittalen NHP-Messungen (p = 0,031) und Frontzahnirregularität (p = 0,023). Im Kruskal–Wallis-Test ergaben sich keine signifikanten Unterschiede in den NHP-Messungen zwischen Probanden mit unterschiedlich ausgeprägten Irregularitäten. Bei weiblichen Probanden bestand keine signifikante Korrelation zwischen Schneidezahnirregularität und einer der NHP-Messungen, bei männlichen dagegen zeigten sich hohe Korrelationskoeffizienten zwischen Frontzahnirregularität und sagittalen NHP-Messungen (r = 0,369; p = 0,008).

Schlussfolgerung

Signifikante Korrelationen zwischen Frontzahnirregularität und sagittalen NHP-Messungen wurden bei den männlichen Probanden beobachtet. Die weiblichen Probanden hatten eine mehr nach vorn geneigte NHP als die männlichen. Darüber hinaus zeigten die männlichen Probanden eine ausgeprägtere Frontzahnirregularität als die weiblichen.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Erciyes University. The author would like to thank Gökmen Zararsız for statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, İzmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey

    Tancan Uysal

  2. Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey

    Ahmet Yagci & Abdullah Ekizer

  3. Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Serdar Usumez

Authors
  1. Tancan Uysal
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  2. Ahmet Yagci
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  3. Abdullah Ekizer
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  4. Serdar Usumez
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Correspondence to Tancan Uysal.

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Conflict of interest

Tancan Uysal, Ahmet Yagci, Abdullah Ekizer, and Serdar Usumez state that there are no conflicts of interest.

All studies on humans described in the present manuscript were carried out with the approval of the responsible ethics committee and in accordance with national law and the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 (in its current, revised form). Informed consent was obtained from all patients included in studies.

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Prof. Dr. Tancan Uysal.

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Uysal, T., Yagci, A., Ekizer, A. et al. Natural head position and lower incisor irregularity. J Orofac Orthop 77, 112–118 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00056-016-0015-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00056-016-0015-7

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