Dentoalveolar morphology in relation to craniocervical posture

The associations between dentoalveolar morphology and the posture of the head and the cervical column were studied in a sample of 120 Danish male students aged 22-30 years. Two head positions were recorded on lateral cephalometric radiographs, one determined by the subjects's own feeling of a natural head balance (self balance position) and the other by the subject looking straight into a mirror (mirror position). Dentoalveolar morphology was described by 17 linear and angular variables and postural relationships by 18 angular variables. The position of the head in relation to the cervical column showed positive correlations with the anterior upper and lower dentoalveolar heights and with the inclinations of the upper and lower occlusal planes. These correlations were considered to reflect the dentoalveolar compensatory adaptation to the variation in vertical jaw relationship, which in a previous study had been found to be associated with craniocervical angulation. No associations were observed between craniocervical angulation and alveolar prognathism or incisor inclination. This was in accordance with the previous findings of a lack of associations between sagittal jaw relationship and craniocervical angulation.