[Classification of maxillary dental arches by correlation and principal component analyses]

To evaluate the morphology of dental arches.

62 (male: 36, female: 26) paired casts having normal dentitions and occlusion were selected from 396 (age: 18 to 26 years old; male: 257, female: 139) sets of dental study models. The maxillary dentitions were preliminarily classified as square, round-square, round and round V-shaped arches based on the conventional morphological descriptions. Midpoints of the incisor edge (I1(R), I1(L), I2(R), &I2(L)), summits of the cuspids (C(R) & C(L)), buccal cusps of the premolars (P1(R), P1(L), P2(R), & P2(L)), mesial buccal cusps of the first and second molars (M1(R), M1(L), M2(R), & M2(L)), and the midpoint (A) of line I1(R)-I1(L) were designated as reference points. From A, let a vertical line intersected line M2(R)-M2(L) at reference point B. The line A-B intersected CR-CL at reference point E. The following items were evaluated: (1) the protrusion of the cuspids by 1. angle I2(R)-C(R)-P1(R) (angle R) + angle I2(L)-C(L)-P1(L) (angle L); (2) the curvature of the anterior teeth by 2. A-B/C(R)-C(L), 3. 180 degrees-angle C(R)-A-C(L), and 4. A-E/C(R)-C(L); (3) the length to width ratio of the dental arch by 5. A-B/M2(R)-M2(L); (4) the degree of roundness of the maxillary arch by estimation of 6. (rtheta(5)-rtheta(4))(R)+(rtheta(5)-rtheta(4))(L); and (5) an item 7. for the differentiation of type I and type II round-square arches by relating the bilateral contour and position of break line P1-P2-M1-M2 (i) to line P1-M2 (ii). The data of items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were further standardized and summarized into three essential principal components: (1) the curvature of the anterior teeth, (2) the curvilinear contour of the dental arch, and (3) the length-to-width ratio of the dental arch.

(1) 60% of the maxillary dentitions were round-square arches which showed no prominent principal component; (2) square maxillary arches distinctly showed a small 1. angle R+angle L; (3) round arches were characteristic by small 6 (rtheta(5)-rtheta(4))(R)+(rtheta(5)-rtheta(4))(L) values; and (4) round V-shaped arches had large 2, 3 and 4 values.

We concluded that parameters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were summarized into three principal components (first principal component, second principal component and third principal component). Through three principal component analysis, we can quickly evaluate the morphology of the dental arches clinically. This methods is simple and of validity. And we can also obtain the characteristics of maxillary dental arches.