Evaluation of Arch Form among Patients Seeking Orthodontic Treatment

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nature of arch form among patients seeking orthodontic treatment and morphological differences in arch form among different classes of Angle's malocclusion classification. Materials and methods: The sample consisted of 200 randomly selected orthodontic patients with age range from 12 to 30 years from the outpatient department of CSMSS Dental College, Aurangabad. On each tooth of the mandibular cast, glass bead of 1.5 mm diameter was glued to simulate the ideal position of an orthodontic brace. The bead positions were transferred on polyester sheet. The arch forms were obtained by joining these points. Results: Commonest arch form found was ovoid (50%), followed by tapered (32.5%) and square (17.5%). When male and female arch forms were compared, it was found that next to ovoid, square arch forms were more common in males and tapered were more common in females. No correlation was found between Angle’s classification of malocclusion and particular arch form. Conclusion: In a caseload of orthodontic patients, one should expect about 50% of ovoid arch forms, 32% of tapered arch forms and 18% of square arch forms. Females exhibit more of ovoid and tapered arch forms, whereas males exhibit more of ovoid and square arch forms. No single arch form is unique to any of the Angle’s classification of malocclusion.