[A dental anthropological study of Chinese in Taiwan. I). Craniofacial morphology]

The cephalometric films were collected from 30 boys and 30 girls of 12 years of age, and from 36 males and 34 females of 18 years of age; all of whom were Chinese in Taiwan, all possessed acceptable occlusion to survey the craniofacial morphology and characteristics associated with dental anthropology. Data were analysed by the computer program at the Department of Orthodontics of Japan Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Data were compared with Japanese, North American Caucasians, Central and South American Indians from papers. It was concluded that: 1) Chinese in Taiwan were similar to Japanese, Central and South American Indians, in that; all possessed a shorter frontal cranial base and depth of face, and were completely different from North American Caucasians. The direction of growth showed counter-clockwise rotation in the four Mongoloid races; however, Caucasians showed straight--down growth. The four Mongoloid races had more frontal position of A,B point and more labial inclination of anterior tooth axis than Caucasians. 2) Chinese in Taiwan were similar to Japanese, but were different from Central and South American Indians, in having a flatter infraorbital outline, longer facial height, flattened mandibular plane angle and a more frontal position of chin. 3) Chinese in Taiwan were characteristically different from Japanese by having a smaller interincisal angle, lower frontal facial height, mandibular angle and mandibular plane angle. In summary, the results indicated that Chinese in Taiwan are characterized by having a wide but short face pattern, a retroposition of the mandible ramus, a more upright mandible angle and a prominent labial inclination of anterior tooth axis.