A chair side method to evaluate cant of occlusal plane

Introduction: The “art of the smile” lies in the clinician’s ability to recognize the positive elements of beauty in each patient and then create a strategy to enhance the attributes that fall outside the parameters of the prevailing esthetic concept. Smile analysis and smile design important aspects in orthodontics. Inclination in the occlusal plane becomes an important parameter for obtaining harmonious orofacial relations.
Materials And Method: A total of 300 subjects with Angle’s Class I, Class II and Class III malocclusion were included in the study, who were evaluated for the cant of occlusal plane in the transverse dimension. This study utilized a fox plane, android phone and an android application which is taken from play store called ‘‘clinometer’’ (plaincode TM). Subject was asked to sit upright on a dental chair such that the F-H plane is parallel to the floor. To ensure natural head position he/she was made to look forward and look into the reflection of his/her eyes in the mirror. Android phone with the android application – ‘‘clinometer’’ opened was placed, on the fox plane in the center where the two extra oral arms meet, in a horizontal manner. Intra oral part of the fox plane was placed on the occlusal surfaces of the lower teeth and the subject was told to bite to evaluate the cant of the occlusal plane. The readings displayed on the ‘‘clinometer’’ application, were made note of while making sure there was no head tilting.
Result: From the 300 subjects who were examined, 225 had class I malocclusion wherein, 97 were males with a mean cant of 0.57° and 128 were females with a mean cant of 0.53°. 65 subjects had class II malocclusion, of which 17 were males and 48 were females, with a mean cant of 1.37° and 1.32° respectively. The remaining 10 had class III malocclusion, of which 4 were males and 6 were females, with a mean cant of 1.45° and 1.41° respectively.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that cant of occlusal plane exists in all the three classes of malocclusion in varying numbers. Occlusal cants within the 0° to 3° range have been observed in normal, healthy patients. Heimansohn suggested that individuals normally have a natural tilt to the occlusal plane.