Associations across 22 dental and craniovertebral anomalies or variations, sagittal skeletal relationships, and vertical growth patterns: a comprehensive epidemiological study of 43 dentoskeletal traits

INTRODUCTION: Despite researchers' recent interest in identifying links between some dental and craniovertebral abnormalities, there are many important, unassessed gaps in our knowledge of this matter. In addition, previous samples were small. This large study aimed to examine, for the first time, the occurrence/severity of numerous dental and skeletal anomalies or variations and their correlations with each other and with growth patterns. METHODS: This epidemiological study was conducted on pretreatment radiographs of 1194 patients from 3 cities (815 females). Skeletal sagittal skeletal relationships and vertical growth patterns were determined. The occurrence/severity were assessed for: cervical vertebral fusion (CVF), atlas posterior arch deficiency (APAD), ponticulus posticus (PP), sella turcica bridging (STB), hypodontia, oligodontia, hyperdontia, missing of maxillary laterals, microdontia, macrodontia, root dilaceration, odontoma, taurodontism, dental fusion, dental gemination, enamel pearl, permanent molar ankylosis, primary molar ankylosis, dens in dente, dens invaginatus, dental impaction, ectopic eruption, and dental transposition. Incidental findings were recorded as well. Concurrent anomalies, sex dimorphism, and correlations across variables were examined statistically, adjusting for the false discovery rate (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Prevalence was calculated for 43 dentoskeletal traits/anomalies (22 abnormalities/variations [plus their severities/types] as well as 21 incidentally found traits/anomalies). Dental impaction may be more common in hyperdivergent and severer cases of sella bridging; also, primary molar ankylosis was associated with missing teeth. Dental impaction was associated only with STB and not with PP, APAD, or vertebral fusion. The only association observed among the four skeletal anomalies was seen between APAD and CVF. Merely the variables ‘sagittal skeletal relationships, vertical growth patterns, PP, and APAD’ showed sexual dimorphism; of these, only vertical growth pattern and APAD remained sexually dimorphic after adjusting for the FDR; still, the other two remained marginally significant and worth further evaluations. Sex dimorphism did not exist in concurrent abnormalities. The skeletal Class III was associated with the concurrent occurrence of craniovertebral, dental, and dentoskeletal abnormalities. Skeletal Class I was associated with fewer occurrences of concurrent dental anomalies. Vertical growth patterns were not associated with concurrent dental or dentoskeletal anomalies. However, the hyperdivergent pattern was associated with fewer cases of concurrent craniovertebral abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: STB and hyperdivergent pattern were associated with dental impaction. However, APAD, CVF, or PP were not associated with dental impaction. APAD was associated with CVF. Sexual dimorphism existed conclusively in the case of vertical growth patterns and APAD. Concurrent abnormalities (dental, skeletal, and dentoskeletal) were associated with skeletal Class III.