Introduction: With the advancement in imaging technology, 3D dental computed tomography plays a very significant role in orthodontic treatment and diagnosis.
Aim: To evaluate dental crowding in relation to the mesiodistal crown widths and arch dimensions and also to determine the differences of dental crowding among males and females, in Southern Indian population.
Materials and methods: A total of 132 subjects were divided into two groups: crowded and non-crowded, each comprising 66 subjects (33 males and 33 females), aged between 15 and 35 years, who were referred for computed tomography scan of brain to the radiology department, were selected. During the scan both the jaws were included in the image. The 2D images were converted to 3D images using volume rendering software. By using measurement tool, individual and collective mesiodistal crown widths of canine, first and second premolar and first molar and arch perimeter of both the maxillary and mandibular jaws were measured.
Results: When both the gender were considered, the mesiodistal crown widths and arch perimeter were statistically significant for dental crowding in both mandibular jaw (p-value=0.001 for both mesiodistal crown width and arch perimeter) and maxillary jaw (p-value=0.016 for mesiodistal crown width and 0.002 for arch perimeter). However, when analysed separately, in males the mesiodistal crown widths and arch perimeter were statistically significant for dental crowding in both mandibular jaw (p-value=0.001 for mesiodistal crown width and 0.002 for arch perimeter) and maxillary jaw (p-value=0.002 for mesiodistal crown width and 0.001 for arch perimeter) but in females it was not statistically significant in any jaw (p-value=0.7 for mesiodistal crown width and 0.06 for arch perimeter in mandibular jaw and p-value=0.2 for mesiodistal crown width and 0.9 for arch perimeter for maxillary jaw). The crowded group had larger tooth size and smaller arch perimeter.
Conclusion: This study concluded that in males, both the factors i.e., mesiodistal crown width and arch dimensions contributed to dental crowding and the crowded dentition had larger mesiodistal tooth size and smaller arch dimensions; whereas, in females both the factors were not responsible for crowding in Southern Indian population.
Keywords: Computed tomography; Mesiodistal width; Non-crowding.