Objective:

to study and compare head tilt among children with complete primary dentition and first transitional period of the mixed dentition stage.

Materials and methods:

the study included 80 volunteers between 4 and 9 years of age, who were taken a standardized right profile facial photograph in a Natural Head Position. These photographs were analyzed using image editing software to determine the head tilt of each volunteer. For this, a plane (plane t-ex) formed by the Intertragic point (t) and Exocanth (ex) was defined and compared with respect to the true horizontal. The data obtained were tabulated, classified into two groups according to the type of dentition and statistically analyzed.

Results:

the average t-ex plane inclination was 22.7º in the group of children with complete primary dentition and 25.8º in the group of children with first transitional period of the mixed dentition stage. The difference between both groups was 3.1º, with statistical significance (p = 0.006).

Conclusion:

the head tilt of children with first transitional period of the mixed dentition stage is greater in an anti-clockwise direction, compared to that of children with complete primary dentition.

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