An analysis of maxillary anterior teeth: Facial and dental proportions

Statement of problem

The size and form of the maxillary anterior teeth are important in achieving pleasing dental and facial esthetics. However, little scientific data have been defined as criteria for evaluating these morphological features.

Purpose

This study analyzed the clinical crown dimensions of maxillary anterior teeth to determine whether consistent relationships exist between tooth width and several facial measurements in a subset of the Turkish population.

Material and methods

Full-face and anterior tooth images of 100 Turkish dental students viewed from the front and engaged in maximum smiling were recorded with digital photography under standardized conditions. Gypsum casts of the maxillary arches of the subjects were also made. The dimensions of the anterior teeth, the occurrence of the golden ratio, the difference between the actual and perceived sizes, and the relationship between the anterior teeth and several facial measurements by gender were analyzed using the information obtained from both the computer images and the casts. One-sample, 2-sample, and paired t tests, and repeated-measures analysis of variance and Duncan multiple-range tests were performed to analyze the data (α=.05).

Results

The dimensions of the central incisors (P<.05) and canines (P<.01) varied by gender. The existence of the so-called “golden proportion” for the maxillary anterior teeth as a whole was not found. Significant differences emerged when the mean ratios between various perceived widths were compared with their ideal golden ratios (P<.01). Proportional relationships between the bizygomatic width and the width of the central incisor, and the intercanine distance and the interalar width in women were observed.

Conclusion

The maxillary central incisor and canine dimensions of men were greater than those of women in the Turkish population studied, with the canines showing the greatest gender variation. Neither a golden proportion nor any other recurrent proportion for all anterior teeth was determined. Bizygomatic width and interalar width may serve as references for establishing the ideal width of the maxillary anterior teeth, particularly in women.