Anterior crown dimensions and relationship in an ethnic Chinese population with normal occlusions

Odontometric measurements of anterior tooth crown sizes in a Chinese sample of 85 Class I occlusions were similar to those published in the white population except for larger upper lateral incisors and smaller upper central incisors in Chinese. Sex differences in tooth sizes were seen only in the maxillary and mandibular canines while differences between antimeres were not significant. The Bolton ratios of our Chinese sample revealed a Bolton ratio of 77.89 +/- 1.62 for the combined mesio-distal widths of the six mandibular anterior teeth as compared to the combined mesio-distal widths of the six maxillary anterior teeth. Surprisingly, the Bolton ratio in our sample compared favourably with those originally published by Bolton although the interfacial angles, overbite and overjet relationships were statistically different.