Purpose: Appropriate selection of anterior teeth is considered to be of paramount importance in the success of denture prostheses. This study was undertaken to evaluate the correlation between the intercanthal width and interalar width with intercanine distance, in North Indian male and female patients for predicting the mesiodistal width of the maxillary anterior teeth during tooth selection.
Materials and methods: The study was conducted with 100 North Indian patients (50 men, 50 women) ranging in age from 17 to 21 years. A digital caliper with an accuracy of 0.01 mm was used to measure the intercanthal and interalar width. A T-shaped flat metal plate (canine tip marker) was used to mark the intercanine distance, which was then measured with the digital caliper. These measurements were interpreted and subjected to statistical analysis. Student's t-test was applied to test the correlation between intercanthal width and interalar width with intercanine distance.
Results: Calculated t-values between intercanine distances with interalar width in both male and female groups were 3.14 and 3.56, respectively, greater than the standard value taken at a 5% level of significance with 48 degree of freedom, showing a higher correlation of interalar width with the intercanine distance. Values obtained between intercanthal width and intercanine distance were lower than the standard value in both groups.
Conclusions: A significant correlation was found between interalar width and intercanine distance in both men and women, suggesting that interalar width can be used as a reliable guide for maxillary anterior teeth selection.
© 2011 by the American College of Prosthodontists.