Evaluation of buccolingual molar inclinations among different vertical facial types

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the buccolingual inclination of maxillary and mandibular molars in adults with different vertical facial types. METHODS: Cone-beam computed tomography images of 135 adult patients (age, 20–45 years) with skeletal Class I maxillomandibular relationships were assigned to normodivergent (n = 46), hypodivergent (n = 49), and hyperdivergent groups (n = 40) according to linear and angular sella-nasion/gonion-menton measurements. The normodivergent group consisted of 24 females and 22 males, hypodivergent group of 26 females and 23 males, and hyperdivergent group of 24 females and 16 males. Buccolingual inclination of the maxillary and mandibular first and second molars was measured relative to the occlusal plane. One-way analysis of variance was used for intergroup comparison. Gender differences were evaluated using independent t-tests. RESULTS: Buccolingual molar inclinations did not differ significantly between females and males (p > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences among the buccolingual inclinations of the first and second maxillary and mandibular molars of the groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Buccolingual inclinations of maxillary and mandibular molars are similar in normodivergent, hyperdivergent, and hypodivergent adults with Class I sagittal relationships.