A study on the change of posterior availble space and the relationship between posterior available space and crowding

Lee, Noh Beom; Kim, Kwang won

Abstract

The research work has been conducted in order to establish facts on posterior available space in patients with crowding. The relation between crowding and posterior available space was worked out through a cross sectional study of fifty eight patients showing class I malocclusion. In addition, a longitudinal overlapping study was done by examing twenty patients who had their bicuspid extracted and forty nine patients who did not, at the orthodontic department of dental clinic affiliated in Chosun University. The patients had been examined for three years and eight months on a regular basis, and the study yielded the following conculusion. 1. There was a great difference in posterior available space between patients with serious crowding and those with slight crowding. The former marked 15.2mm of posterior available space and the latter 19.9mm. 2. Posterior crowding index was acquired by joint consideration of the diameter of posterior teeth and posterior available space, and manifested the highest relationship with crowding among measured items. 3. Patients who had their bicuspids extracted exhibited increase in posterior available space of 1.6mm/year and those who did not, 1.8mm/year. 4. The absorption of anterior border of ramus turned out to be most deeply related with the increase of posterior available space. 5. Anterior border of ramus was absorbed at the average rate of 0.7mm/year during the period of observation. 6. The extraction of bicuspids had little influence on the change in posterior available space.