Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the cranio-facial skeletal morphology found in digit suckers.

The criteria used for selecting the 50 patients in this study were a history of digit sucking and an anterior dental open-bite. The sample consisted of Class I and Class II, Division 1 malocclusions, ages six through adult, for both sexes. If an individual was post— pubertal, they were classified as an adult. A Ricketts lateral cephalometric analysis of each patient was compared to standards of the same age. These differences were analyzed statistically with a Student t test and a one-way analysis of variance.

The following measurements showed statistically and clinically significant differences from the norm: Facial Axis, Maxillary Depth, Facial Depth, Convexity at Pt. A., Maxillary Height, Lower Face Height, Palatal Plane, and Mandibular Arc. These morphologic changes seem to progress in severity linearly rather than exponentially.

In summary, it was found that digit sucking may contribute to significant changes in mid and lower face skeletal morphology.

LLU Discipline

Orthodontics

Department

Dentistry

School

James Wise

First Advisor

Milford Anholm

Second Advisor

Lloyd Gaunt

Third Advisor

Roland Walters

Fourth Advisor

Lawrence Will

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1978

Date (Title Page)

6-1978

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Skull -- anatomy & histology; Fingersucking.

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vi; 89

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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