The relationship between facialasymmetry and maxillary dental arch shape

Kim, Dong Woo; Son, Won Sung

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the dental asymmetry in person with facial asymmetry and to examine the relationship between the degree of mandibular deviation and asymmetry of maxillary dental arch. The samples were divided to asymmetry group and normal group. The asymmetry group consisted of 21 subjects(6 males and 15 females) and their mean age was 23.5 years. The normal group consisted of 20 subjects(10 males and 10 females) and their mean age was 18.6 Years. Anteroposterior, transverse position of all maxillary teeth except 3rd molars, vertical position of maxillary Ist molars, and angulation of central incisors were measured. The anterivposterior and transverse positions of teeth were measured on the maxillary dental casts, the vertical position of maxillary 1st molars and angulation of maxillary incisors were measured on posteroanterior cephalometiic radiographs. The data were analyzed to examine whether significant asymmetries existed in each of the asymmetry and normal groups. The results of this study were as follows : 1. In the asymmetry group, the correlation between the degree of mandibular deviation and that of 3-dimensional dental asymmetry was not so high. 2. In the asymmetry group, the teeth in deviated side were more laterally positioned than that of undeviated side. There were differences in the anteroposterior position of maxillary 1st and 2nd molars and the angulation of maxillary central incisors. 3. In the asymmetry group, the transverse asymmetry was larger in the posterior teeth rather than in the anterior teeth and larger than the anteroposterior asymmetry.