INTERMAXILLARY TOOTH SIZE DISCREPANCY IN CLASS II PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENT VERTICAL GROWTH PATTERNS

Abstract

Tooth size discrepancies have great influence on orthodontic treatment planning by determining the need for reduction (enamel stripping), increase (restorative measures), or removal (extractions) of teeth prior to finalization of occlusion. The objective of this study is to determine the inter-arch tooth size discrepancy in Class II patients with different vertical growth patterns in a tertiary-care hospital sample in Pakistan.

Our observational study was carried out at the Orthodontics department, Lahore Medical & Dental College for a duration of 6 months i.e. 25th September 2019 to 24th March 2020. A total of 95 skeletal Class II patients (ANB>4) patients between age 14-25 years were selected through non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Subjects with any morphologic tooth deformity of size and shape, extensive restorations of any tooth and current active orthodontic treatment were excluded. Impression of all the patients were taken and study casts made. On lateral cephalogram, vertical pattern of growth is assessed by SN-Mandible angle. Mesio-distal width measurements of (first)molar to (first) molar were recorded in both arches using a needle pointed divider.

This study was conducted with subjects of 14-25 years with a mean age of 18.57 ± 3.35 years. Most of the subjects i.e. 57 (60.0%) were 14 to 20 years of age. Frequency of different vertical growth patterns in class II malocclusion patients were as follows; high angle in 35 (36.84%), low angle in 28 (29.47%) and normal angle in 32 (33.68%), whereas incidence of interarch tooth size difference in class II patients was found in 50 (52.63%) patients. However, intermaxillary tooth size discrepancy with respect to different vertical growth patterns in Class II patients was found to be insignificant suggesting that growth patterns do not affect tooth size.