Mixed dentition space analysis in a Thai population

Abstract

This study produced simple linear regression equations to be used for mixed dentition space analysis for males and females, and sexes pooled in a population living in northeastern Thailand. Measurements of teeth were made to within 0.01 mm on the dental casts of 215 boys and 215 girls (mean age 15.7 years). All dentitions were required to be free of any signs of dental pathology or anomalies. It was found that males had significantly larger teeth than females as represented by summations of mandibular incisor, canine, and premolar widths. ANOVA of regression indicated a close relationship between mandibular incisor summation and corresponding summations of canine and premolars. The low coefficients of determination (r2) of the regressions ranged between 0.29 and 0.42, and were higher for females than males, which might be attributable to the ethnic diversity of the sampled population. The regression equations produced predictions of mesio-distal width summations for maxillary and mandibular canine, and premolar arch segments that were slightly different from other reported Asian studies. Moyers' prediction tables at the 50th percentile were found to under-estimate tooth size summation compared with the present investigation. The predictions from simplified regression equations matched well with those of this study for sexes pooled, and for males and females separately.