The association between posture of the head and malocclusion in Saudi subjects

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether a relationship exists between posture of the head and neck, and the presence of certain malocclusal problems. Dental models, in addition to lateral cephalometric radiographs, taken in the "natural head position" of 180 male and female subjects were obtained. The postural angles between the head and the cervical column, termed craniovertical, craniocervical, cervicohorizontal, and cervical curvature, were measured. The malocclusal traits studied were: molar relation, crowding, spaces, overbite, overjet, crossbites, and midline displacements. Results show that a relationship between crowding and head posture could only be found in subjects with upper arch crowding and cervical curvature (p<0.01). A significant difference in craniocervical and cervicohorizontal angles was observed in subjects with overbite, compared to subjects without overbite (p<0.01, p<0.001). The influence of gender on overbite and head posture was also found to be strongly correlated (p<0.05). With regard to molar relation, Class II malocclusion showed a stronger relation with craniovertical and cervicohorizontal angles than both other classes (p<0.05, p<0.01). A significant correlation was found between craniovertical angles NSL/VER and overjet, irrespective of gender or age (p<0.05). Crossbite was strongly correlated with all craniocervical angles (p<0.05). It can be concluded that certain malocclusal problems are more strongly associated with head posture than others, and that crowding does not seem to play a major role in this association in the present study.