Determination of Combination Factor as an Aid in Orthodontic Treatment Planning in Western Region of Saudi Arabian Young Male Population- A Retrospective Cephalometric Study

Introduction: Diagnosis and treatment planning in orthodontics determines the treatment outcome and long term stability. Cephalometric radiography is an essential diagnostic aid in orthodontics and hence numerous studies have been carried out in the past. Aim: To determine the Combination Factor (CF) through evaluation of the mean Overbite Depth Indicator (ODI) and Anteroposterior Dysplasia Indicator (APDI) values in western region of Saudi Arabian young male patients which would act as an aid in orthodontic treatment planning. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cephalometric study was conducted on 80 Saudi Arabian young male patients ranging in age from 7 to 14 years. Data was collected from records derived from the University Dental Hospital. Patients (n=80) were divided into four age groups: ages 7 (n=20), 8-9 (n=20), 10-11 (n=20), and 12-14 (n=20) years. Lateral cephalometric images were hand-traced and measured by one standardised and calibrated investigator. Statistical analysis was done with significance level set at 0.05, assuming that the length of the 95% confidence interval was two. One-way analysis of variance, followed by the Tukey test used to compare the mean ODI and APDI values of different groups. The statistical data were analysed through SPSS version 24 for Windows (IBM SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The mean ODI value was 69.2688° and standard deviation 4.66670°, respectively. The overall APDI mean value was 81.7063° and standard deviation 4.18987°, respectively. There were no significant differences in the mean ODI and APDI values among different age groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: This retrospective cephalometric study determined the CF for western region of Saudi Arabian young male population to be 150.96°. This factor can be used as a diagnostic aid for planning orthodontic treatment. When the CF, is under the norm (150.96°), the skeletal pattern tends to improve with dental extractions. A CF higher than the norm (150.96°) will maintain a better relation with a non-extraction treatment.