Association of hyperdivergent facial pattern and the inclination of the occlusal plane in orthodontic patients: A cross-sectional study

To evaluate the association between the hyperdivergent facial pattern and occlusal plane inclination in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using records from patients who attended an orthodontic consultation at a specialized clinic in Tacna, Peru, between July 1, 2022, and August 31, 2023. Occlusal plane inclination was measured on lateral cephalometric radiographs following Andrews' guidelines. Cephalometric analysis was performed using the OneCeph application. The vertical facial pattern was determined by the Frankfurt-Mandibular Plane Angle (FMA). A multiple linear regression analysis with robust variance was used to assess associations, considering p-values < 0.05 as statistically significant. Occlusal plane inclination was significantly associated with vertical facial pattern (p< 0.001), with hyperdivergent individuals showing the greatest inclination. Additional significant correlations were observed with facial angle, convexity angle (p< 0.001), lower anterior facial height (p = 0.012), overjet (p = 0.042), and skeletal relationship (p = 0.013). Multiple regression confirmed greater occlusal plane inclination in hyperdivergent individuals compared to normodivergent (β = 2.15°, p< 0.001) and hypodivergent (β = 2.75°, p< 0.001) patterns. The hyperdivergent facial pattern was significantly associated with increased occlusal plane inclination, underscoring the importance of considering vertical growth patterns during orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. Key words:Vertical facial pattern, Occlusal plane, Hyperdivergent.