Association between maxillary transverse discrepancy and occurrence of potentially impacted maxillary canines in mixed dentition patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the association between transverse maxillary discrepancy and occurrence of potentially impacted maxillary canines in mixed dentition patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 85 Pakistani subjects (32 males and 53 females) aged between 8 to 13 years, having good quality orthopantomographs and dental casts. Maxillary transverse discrepancy was assessed by subtracting the mandibular intermolar width from the maxillary intermolar width on dental cast. Maxillary lateral incisors and canines were traced from orthopantomographs, and canines were placed into sector classification. Chi-square test was used to determine the difference in the occurrence of potentially impacted maxillary canines between patients with maxillary transverse discrepancy and patients without maxillary transverse discrepancy. RESULTS: There was no significant difference seen in the occurrence of impacted maxillary canines in patients with and without maxillary transverse discrepancy in mixed dentition patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with maxillary transverse discrepancy may not be at a higher risk of palatal canine impaction. Radiological presence of canine in sector II, III and IV, pose a higher risk of canine impaction.

Effect of extraction of first four premolars on smile aesthetics.

The objective of the present study was to assess smile aesthetics after orthodontic treatment in subjects with and without the extraction of four first premolars. Post-treatment coloured frontal photographs (4 × 6 inches) of 60 Pakistani subjects, 21 males and 39 females, aged between 15 and 30 years were assessed by one examiner. For 50 per cent (n = 30) of the patients, treatment included the extraction of four first premolars, whereas the other half were treated without extractions. Smile aesthetics were evaluated by a panel of 10 laypersons, five males and five females, aged between 20 and 30 years. Smile aesthetic parameters were measured using seven variables, and the ratios were calculated. An independent sample t-test was used to assess smile aesthetics. All seven variables namely smile width, smile height, visible dentition width, maxillary intercanine width, visible maxillary first molars, visible mandibular teeth, visible maxillary gingival margin, and the ratios between the above mentioned variables showed no detrimental effects following extraction of four first premolars on smile aesthetics.