Jaw morphology in edentulous individuals: a radiographic cephalometric study

The jaw morphology in the mandible and maxilla was studied by cephalometric analysis in two groups of edentulous subjects and in two groups of individuals in possession of all teeth. The predominating facial type in these groups was the orthognathic type. The alveolar bone height differed significantly between men and women in the edentulous groups but not in the subjects in possession of all teeth. Thus, there seemed to be a sex difference in alveolar bone diminution after extraction of all teeth. The gonial angle was significantly greater in both men and women in the edentulous groups than in either sex in the groups in possession of all teeth. Thus, the basal bone morphology in the mandible seemed to be changed in the same manner in both sexes in the edentulous groups after extraction of all teeth, in contrast to the alveolar bone diminution. Indications were found that the gonial angle might be age related. The chin angle as such was found to be less than 60 degrees in the majority of edentulous individuals which makes this value seem to be of minor importance when selecting edentulous individuals for surgical deepening of the vestibular sulcus.