Tooth sizes and configurations within maxillary dentition

Abstract

Purpose: To explore the relationship between tooth sizes and configurations within a single dentition, the mesiodistal and buccolingual crown diameters were measured using a dentition model, and analyzed using statistical methods. Methods: A total of 96 maxillary dental casts were used. The mesiodistal crown diameter, buccolingual crown diameter, and crown area from the maxillary central incisor to the maxillary second molar were determined. The mean, standard deviation, median, coefficient of variation, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were determined. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to form clusters of maxillary dentitions with similar characteristics. Principal component analysis was performed to explore the characteristics of all 96 cases and each cluster. Furthermore, whether there was a difference between the clusters was asked. Results: Maxillary lateral incisor had a large coefficient of variation and did not show a high correlation coefficient with any of the other teeth. The maxillary dentition was classified into seven groups according to the size of the configuration teeth and the size of the teeth between the tooth types. Furthermore, among the seven groups, there was a group in which the size of the teeth constituting the dentition were in harmony, and a group in which the size of one tooth or tooth type tended to increase while the size of the other tooth or tooth type tended to decrease. Conclusion: The size of teeth in one maxillary dentition is observed within the same tooth type or between different tooth types, suggesting that they influence each other.