Analysis of dental and basal bone arch form correlations in skeletal Class II malocclusion

Introduction: This study aimed to establish mathematical equations to describe the dental and basal arch forms in skeletal Class II malocclusion and to investigate correlations between these forms to facilitate clinical diagnosis and treatment design. Methods: Cone-beam computed tomography images of 60 patients (30 each with skeletal Class II malocclusion and normal occlusion) were subjected to 3-dimensional volume rendering, image reconstruction, and measurement. Using a computer program written in Java on the Eclipse platform (Eclipse Foundation, Ottawa, Canada), a beta function was used to establish mathematical models of dental and basal bone arch forms, and model-fitting was performed. Results: A mathematical model was developed to describe the dental and basal arch forms in skeletal Class II malocclusion. The maxillary and mandibular dental arch lengths were significantly longer in skeletal Class II malocclusion than in normal occlusion, whereas the width of the maxillary molar segment was smaller. The maxillary molar and mandibular intercranial segments in the basal arch were significantly longer in skeletal Class II malocclusion than in normal occlusion, whereas the mandibular intercranial segment width was smaller. Conclusions: The dental arch and basal bone arch forms in the maxilla and mandible follow individual curves, described by a beta function. In skeletal Class II malocclusion, the dental and basal arches are discrepant in horizontal and anteroposterior dimensions, which should be considered during orthodontic treatment planning to improve arch matching.