Dentofacial pattern of two Jewish ethnic groups compared with accepted norms

Abstract

The population of immigrant communities is often composed of various ethnic groups who may differ in their dentofacial pattern. The objective of this study was to define the dentofacial pattern of Jewish adolescents of Kurdish origin, and to compare it with another ethnic group and with accepted cephalometric norms. Lateral cephalograms of 20 individuals of both sexes, aged 11–13 years, with normal occlusion in the early permanent dentition, were chosen from the Jerusalem Growth Study material. The cephalograms were traced twice and were processed by means of a computer aided cephalometric program. Downs' as well as some other common cephalometric measurements were used for the analyses. Several comparisons were made: a) with an Ashkenazi (East-European Jewish) group; b) with the findings on non-Jewish Iranian youths of similar geographic background as our Kurdish group; c) with classical cephalometric standards. Close similarity was found with the Ashkenazi group and almost identical pattern of the non-Jewish Iranian youths of similar geographic background. The comparison with the classical cephalometric standards indicated a higher FMA, a more convex profile, accompanied by a mild skeletal Class II tendency and mandibular incisor proclination in our sample. Therefore it stands to reason that the classical North American cephalometric standards for its white population are not applicable in their totality for the clinical evaluation of the two Jewish ethnic groups examined. Thus establishment of specific norms for specific groups within a heterogeneous community is indicated. In addition, a tendency to accept a more convex profile as normal, as apparent from the review of the contemporary orthodontic literature, may suggest the desirability for a revision of the accepted strict norms for a harmonious dentofacial pattern.