Identifying cortical plate inclination as a parameter to re‐assess transverse discrepancies in untreated adults with different vertical facial heights—A retrospective CBCT study

Objective To determine the inclination angles of buccal, palatal cortical plates and assess its harmony with existing molar buccolingual inclination in adults with different vertical facial heights. The aim of this study was to identify the role of cortical plate inclination as a diagnostic tool for determining alveolar support in adults with transverse discrepancies. Materials and Methods One‐hundred and fifty seven CBCTs (50‐Hypo‐divergent, 51‐Normo‐divergent and 56‐Hyper‐divergent growth patterns) of untreated adults were utilized. Cross‐sectional slices with respect to the maxillary first molar were taken as orientation landmarks in defined reference planes. Inclination angles for the first molar, buccal and palatal cortical plate were determined with respect to the palatal plane. ANOVA and Post Hoc Tukey's HSD test were carried out to determine significant differences between groups. Results Molar inclination was significantly greater in hyper‐divergent groups compared to normo‐divergent and hypo‐divergent groups (P