The development of septal and dental deformity from birth.

The findings on the development of dental, facial and septal conditions from birth to about 6 years of age include the following: 1) Septal configuration can be readily tested at birth, and if deformity is present, then deformity will still be present at age 6 years. 2) The internal septal configuration can be categorized into three types: type A: The septum is in the midline. type B: There is unilateral bending or kinking of the septum at the vomerine junction. type C: The septum is deformed to both sides in an S configuration. 3) Height of the palate does not predispose to septal deformity. 4) Dental abnormalities of rotation, compression or crowding of the teeth, asymmetry of width and height of the palate, and shift of the mandibular arch from the midline occur most frequently in cases of type B (88%), much less in type C and least in type A. 5) At birth one can predict that type B babies will have considerably more likelihood of developing occlusal abnormalities than type A babies. 6) The dental abnormalities in many of these subjects are of sufficient degree to expect that malocclusion will undoubtedly develop. Thus the same etiological factors producing septal abnormalities at birth must be considered to be factors producing many malocclusions.