Natural Head Position Recording Method to Obtain Lateral Cephalometric Radiographic – Considerations and Importance of the Method for SurgicalOrthodontic Diagnosis

José Rino NETO, Belini Augusto Villalba FREIRE-MAIA, João Batista de PAIVA

Studies of human cranium and face relations have been performed, nowadays, in Natural Head Position (NHP), reported as being the position of an individual standing up with his visual axis horizontally. Studies carried out showed that the biological variations of the intracranium reference lines used in conventional cephalometric analysis (Frankfurt Horizontal plane and Sella-Nasio line) are greater than those found in NHP records. Nasal obstruction and visual deficiency variables affect the NHP record. A controversy was observed regarding the best method to obtain the lateral teleradiographs with the individual in NHP: however, the importance of the individual be standing up, looking at the wall ahead of him exactly at his eyes level, with the help of a mirror, should be pointed out. The NHP reproducibility reported in the literature was significant both statistically and clinically, demonstrating the reliability of that position to obtain the lateral teleradiograph, especially when the natural head orientation is done by a capable professional. This study presents the method of recording the NHP to obtain lateral teleradiographs used in the Cephalometry Discipline in the Post-graduate course in Orthodontics at the School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo.

Keywords: Lateral teleradiography. Cephalometry. Surgical – orthodontic diagnosis. Natural head position.

Thursday, May 02, 2024 07:34