A study on Arch Widths in Adults with Class I Crowded and Class III Malocclusions Compared to Normal Occlusions in Bangladeshi Population

Abstract

Aims: A descriptive type of cross-sectional study was conducted at the department of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics of Dhaka Dental College & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh during January 2010 to December 2012. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that there were no differences between adults with class I crowded, class III and class I normal occlusions in respect to width of the maxillary and mandibular arches and gender comparisons. Materials and Methods: In this study, 82 pairs of study models were selected from the patients and students of the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at Dhaka Dental College and Hospital and were divided into three groups. Twenty seven (27) pairs of dental casts with normal occlusion, 25 pairs with class I crowded and another 30 pairs with class III malocclusions that included almost equal numbers of male and female samples. Results: Among different arch dimensions, maxillary arch widths were found to have significantly smaller in class I crowded and class III malocclusions compared to normal class I occlusion. Conclusion: The hypothesis was partially rejected by the findings of the study. It may be suggested that Orthodontist who is aware of these differences in arch dimension will be beneficial to diagnose and make planning of treatment of orthodontic cases more accurately. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cdcj.v10i2.16319 City Dent. Coll. J Voume-10, Number-2, July-2013