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Evaluation of condylar position from transcranial projections in primary dentition

Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School – State University of Campinas (FOP/UNICAMP), Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

^* Correspondence to: Prof. Dr. Maria Beatriz Duarte Gavia, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba/UNICAMP, Departamento de Odontologia Infantil, Area de Odontopediatria, Av. Limeira 901 CEP 13414-903 Piracicaba, SP/Brasil; E-mail: mbgaviao@fop.unicamp.br . E-mail: mbgaviao{at}fop.unicamp.br.

Received 31 March 2005; revised 8 July 2005; accepted 24 July 2005

Objectives: To evaluate the condylar position through transcranial radiographs in children between 3 years and 6 years old and to associate it with morphological characteristics of primary dentition.

Methods: The extraoral transcranial radiographs were taken with plain films using the Accurad-200 head holder (Denar Company, Anaheim, CA), and then they were digitized using a Hewlett Packard 6390 Scanner. The condylar position was determined according to Gelb's template, in postural rest position (RP) and maximum intercuspal position (MI), and it was associated with the characteristics: normal occlusion (n=36), open bite with or without overjet greater than 3 mm (n=27), unilateral or bilateral posterior cross bite (n=14), overbite greater than 3 mm (n=15). The chi-square and the Fisher Exact Test were used to analyse the data.

Results: It was verified that when using Gelb's template, there was not a significant association between the occlusion type found and the position of the condyle in the glenoid fossa when considering the entire patient sample (P>0.05). There was a great variability in positions, and most of the children had asymmetric condyles (55.43% in MI and 51.09% in RP). Children with normal occlusion and malocclusion presented the same proportions of condylar position in both mandibular positions.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the results of this study showed that the condylar position in small children with different morphological occlusions presented great variability.

Keywords: mandibular condyle; radiography; primary dentition; children

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