Applicability of Bolton's tooth size ratios to a Japanese orthodontic population

Previous studies have shown that tooth size ratios are ethnicity-, race-, and sex-specific. This study was carried out to determine anterior and overall ratios in a Japanese population and to compare them with Bolton's ratios. Numerical data were obtained from 60 pairs of dental casts of 30 male and 30 female Japanese orthodontic patients. The mesiodistal widths from first molar to first molar were measured on each cast to the nearest 0.01 mm, by using digital calipers, and the anterior and overall ratios were calculated. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the parametric t test, and Student t test were used for statistical analyses. No statistically significant difference between men and women was found in either the anterior or overall ratio. The combined male and female anterior and overall ratios were 78.39 +/- 2.18% and 91.60 +/- 2.11%, respectively. The combined male and female anterior ratio showed a statistically significant difference from the Bolton standard, whereas the overall ratio showed no statistically significant difference. Significant discrepancies in the anterior and overall ratios were found in 21.6% and 8.3% of patients, respectively. A high prevalence rate of an anterior tooth size discrepancy more than 2SD above Bolton's mean was found. Bolton's anterior ratio was not applicable to the Japanese population, and specific standard tooth size ratios for the Japanese population are needed.