Specific features of variant anatomy and morphometric characteristics of the palatal vault in adults with different gnathic and dental types of arches

Abstract

Cone-beam computed tomograms of 68 people (age - 21-35) with physiological occlusion and various gnathic dental arches were analyzed by a method developed for identifying the palatal arch index, taken as a height (depth)-to-width dimension ratio. The results of the study revealed that palatal parameters are determined by main variants (types) of the palatal vault. In case of the mesopalatal type of the arch (index value - 35-45%), the width parameters exceeded the depth values by an average of 2.4 times, while the divergence angle of alveolar processes was 116.7 +/- 5.6 degrees. The dolichopalatal type of the arch (index value - above 45%) featured domination of the width parameters over the depth-related ones, by an average of 1.8 times, while the alveolar processes divergence angle made up 127.6 +/- 6.1 degrees. As far as the brachypalatal type of the arch is concerned (index value - below 35%), the width parameters exceeded the depth parameters by 4.0 times on average, the divergence angle of the alveolar processes being 113.5 +/- 5.3 degrees. The obtained data can be used in clinical orthodontics when diagnosing pathologies of the palatal vault, as well as to interpret data from additional methods of examination and to choose the right treatment for issues related to the dental arch shape and size.