Abstract
The purpose of this study is to determine the age differences for open bite malocclusion concerning facial skeletal and dentoalveolar height. The study was carried out on a sample of 50 students (24 males and 26 females) aged 12–15 years with Class I occlusion selected according to certain criteria among the students of secondary schools in the center of Mosul City. The sample was divided into two age groups: 12–13 years old, and 14–15 years old. Lateral cephalometric radiograph was taken for each subject. Twenty one cephalometric measurements (nine angular and twelve linear) and five ratios had been determined. The data were statistically analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The results revealed that males showed significant increase in total posterior facial height, upper posterior facial height and ramus height with increasing age, while females showed increase of upper anterior dental height and decrease the ratio between upper posterior dental height and upper anterior dental height with increasing age. Concerning angles, females approved significant increase of the angle formed by the intersection between occlusal plane and palatal plane (OP–PP), while males showed a slight decrease of the angle of palatal plane inclination in relation to anterior cranial base (SN–PP angle) with increasing age.
