[An analysis of craniofacial changes from deciduous to the first stage of mixed dentition]

Analysis has been done, with intention to observe dynamic of craniofacial changes, from deciduous to the end of the first phase of the mixed dentition. In the longitudinal sample, consisted of 67 children both sexes, observed from 3.5 to 8.5 year of age, the determined measurements of craniofacial variables, and indexes of the skull and face, were examined. The figures were elaborated statistically. Results show the slow reduction of the brachiocephals, while the frequency of mesiocephalics increases, especially at girls, what measurement of indexes confirm. From the deciduous period to the beginning of the mixed dentition, slow growth of the number of euriprosops and reduction of mesioprosops was found, while during the deciduous dentition the situation was opposite. Analysis of each craniofacial dimension shows that the length and the width of cranium are reduced until the beginning of the mixed dentition and increased after that. The other variables show continued increase of dimensions, especially at last period. Correlations are significant and very significant, between the width of the skull and the upper width of the face (and less significant at lower width of the face, which is in a high degree correlated with the height, than between the length of cranium and the height of the face. It is confirmed by factor analysis. At the multivariate analysis, two or three varimax factors can be isolated, dependent on phases: factor of wideness, factor of length height, and factor of age.