Bibliogr. s. 87

The aim of this study was to present methods of assessment of facial growth on cephalometric imaging described in the literature. In the study articles published in foreign journals assessments of facial growth were described. PubMed, Medline and Ebsco bases have been used for finding appropriate literature. Key words like: cephalometry, superimposition methods, craniofacial growth were used for searching. We chose 31 articles which described this problem. Craniofacial growth and development is an important problem in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment. It may be a support but also an obstacle to the orthodontic therapy; it can even make it impossible. In order to define it on cephalometric imaging it is necessary to assess: craniofacial development on reference landmarks of the cranium base; maxillary growth- in relation to points based on maxilla and development of mandible alveolar process- superimposition of images on the structures localized in mandible. Different methods of superimposition described in the study allow assessing, more or less precisely, the direction and dimension of growth in time between one imaging and another.