Introduction:

Obesity is a global problem in the the 21st century and Chile does not escape this reality. Just as there are morbid characteristics of patients with obesity, there also share similar craniofacial characteristics. Nutritional status is a factor that influences the a person´s general development , which has implications in the orthodontic, orthopedic and surgical treatments of maxillo-mandibular alterations.

Objective:

Investigate whether craniofacial morphology differs between obese and average-weight adolescents.

Methods:

A retrospective study based on the comparison of craniofacial measures obtained from the cephalometric analysis, using lateral cephalograms, from two groups: study group (BMI over 30, obese) and control group (normal BMI). Greater maxillary and mandibular dimensions were observed in the study group compared to the patients in the control group. The measurements for de maxillary dimension had a statistically significant difference.

Conclusions:

Weight gain is an important factor that can affect craniofacial growth patterns and should be taken into consideration during the planning of orthodontic treatment in adolescent patients.