Cephalometric study of American black children with sickle-cell disease.

The effects of sickle-cell disease on skeletal maturation are well documented. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible effects of sickle-cell disease on the growth of the dentofacial complex. The results of this study indicated that: The sickle-cell group seems to have a more protrusive maxilla and a more forward growth tendency of the mandible. The group also exhibited significantly retruded maxillary and mandibular incisors.