Transversal craniofacial development between skeletal maturation stages: A multi-center posteroanterior cephalometric study

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Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the dentofacial transversal norms according to the stages of skeletal maturation in growing Turkish individuals and to determine differences between the genders. Materials and Methods: In our multi-centered, cross-sectional retrospective study, in which transversal measurements were made according to skeletal maturation stages (SMSs), posteroanterior radiographs of 572 individuals (292 female, 280 male) with skeletal and dental Class I relationships and good occlusion were examined at the age range of 7–18 years. SMSs were determined using Björk, Grave and Brown hand-wrist radiography. A linear regression model was used for changes of transversal measurements between SMSs, and t-test was used to determine transverse changes between the genders. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between females and males in cranial, facial, and nasal width values up to SMS 5. In maxillary, mandibular, maxillary intermolar, and mandibular intermolar width measurements, males had higher values in most stages of skeletal maturation compared to females. Apart from nasal width and maxillomandibular ratio values in females, the regression model in which transversal measurements were dependent variables, and SMS were independent variables was found to be significant. According to cumulative growth percentages, the growth completion in transversal measurements occurred earlier in females. Conclusion: Transversal measurements determined according to the stages of skeletal maturation can be a guide for orthodontists in the clinic to determine values that deviate from normal.