Abstract
Aim
To determine the features of the mandibular dental arch in subjects presenting with impacted permanent lower canines.
Methods
The ‘impaction group’ consisted of 48 Indian subjects with mandibular canine impaction (Females:Males, 1.5:1; mean age, 15.03 ± 0.49 years). The ‘control group’ was comprised of 96 age-, gender- and malocclusion-matched Indians who were randomly selected from subjects initially screened but who had completely erupted mandibular canines. Arch width, arch length, arch shape and space status (total tooth size, arch-length – tooth-size discrepancy) were assessed using dental models and were compared between the groups using comparative measurements and statistics.
Results
Statistically significant differences were demonstrated with respect to the arch length, arch shape, total tooth size and arch-length – tooth-size discrepancy (p = 0.03, 0.02, 0.04, 0.01; independent 2-sample t-tests, respectively). Crowding was more prevalent in subjects with impaction than in the controls, with the difference being statistically significant (chi-square = 13.202; degrees of freedom (df) = 4; p = 0.010).
Conclusion
Patients with permanent mandibular canine impaction have adequately wide but shorter lower dental arch forms along with wider mandibular total tooth size and greater arch-length – tooth-size discrepancy when compared with a control sample.