Abstract
Aims: To find out the changes among four age groups for total posterior facial height, upper anterior facial height and lower posterior facial height. Materials and Methods: The sample subjects were having normal class I molar relationships. The sample included: age 11 years (23 males and 25 females),age 12 years (19 males and 22 females), age 13 years (22 males and 28 females), and age 14 years (22 males and 22 females). All subjects were radiographed with lateral cephalometric films and the films were traced. The traced parameters of facial heights were measured. The results were subjected to the descriptive statistics and to the ANOVA And Duncan’s Multiple Range tests to detect the changes among the four age groups and to student's t–test to explore the sex variation fort these parameters. Results: The total posterior facial height displayed no significant change between 13 and 14 years groups, however, the values at both 13 and 14 years groups were significantly greater than that at 11 year. The lower posterior facial height in males demonstrated a significantly higher value at 14 years group as compared to both 11 and 12 years groups, while females showed significantly higher value for both 13 and 14 years groups than 11 years group. The sex variation of the facial heights showed that males possessed significantly greater values than females for the lower anterior facial height at 11 years group, the changing also displayed significantly greater value for the total posterior facial heights at 14 years group. Conclusions: Both sexes tend to show an increase in the facial heights with the increase in the age groups and there are significant changes in facial heights between males and females except for total posterior facial height at 14 years age group.
