Cephalometric analysis for accurately determining the vertical dimension (case report)

Abstract

Objective: Determination of the vertical dimension of occlusion (DVO) tends to changes throughout the human life. The vertical dimensionis determined by the interocclusal point of the upper and lower teeth contact so the application is limited when the natural teet was missing. Methods: A 50 year old female patient, partially edentulous on the upper and lower jaw with the remaining teeth were 12 (residualroot), 11, 21, 23, 33 and 43. The remaining teeth were endodontically treated prior the complete denture procedure. Cephalometric photo was done in patients after making bite rim, upper and lower bite rimwere given metal marker, the image was traced, then measured between metal to get the vertical dimension of occlusion. Results: Many functional and aesthetic changes are occurred in the whole orofacial region and tomatognathic system. DVO is one of the difficult stages in prosthodontic treatment. Most of the techniques to determine DVO in edentulous patients are based on the soft tissue references, which can cause the different measurements. Cephalometric analysis allows the evaluation of bone growth changes and can be used as a diagnostic tool in prosthodontics to evaluate the results of prosthodontic rehabilitation. Conclusion: Tooth loss without replacement may cause alteration of vertical dimension. Measurement of VD is one of important step in making denture. Keywords: