ASSESSMENT OF THE MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SELLA TURCICA IN RELATION TO THE OCCURRENCE OF DENTAL ANOMALIES.

Sella turcica (ST) is one of the bony structures used as an indicator for predicting skeletal growth and development of dental and skeletal malocclusions in humans.The aim of this investigation is to assess the correlation between the morphological characteristics of the ST and the occurrence of dental anomalies. Мaterials and methods: The study group comprised 109 patients (62 males and 47 females) aged 8-17 years. All subjects were evaluated cephalometrically. The dental anomalies (hypodontia, hyperdontia, palatally displaced canine, transposition and impaction of teeth) were determined by clinical and radiographic examination. The morphology of ST was estimated on a ceph x-ray through analysis of its length, depth and anteroposterior diameter. The results showed the presence of hypodontia in 52 subjects, the palatally displaced canine in 2, and a canine impaction only in 1 patient. A significant difference in the depth and anteroposterior diameter of ST (p < 0.001) were found between the groups with and without dental anomalies. There were no significant differences between groups for length values of ST. Conclusion: Knowing the morphological characteristics of ST in a certain population is of great importance for taking early orthodontic treatment in order to prevent the occurrence of later severe disorders in the craniofacial complex. Orthodontists need to know the various morphologies of the ST to differentiate normal from abnormal appearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]