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Updated: May 22, 2026

Measuring Maxillary Posterior Tooth Movement: A Model Assessment using Palatal and Dental Superimposition
Published on: February 23, 2024
Interrelationship between the position of impacted maxillary canines and the morphology of the maxilla
Yoojun Kim1, Hong-Keun Hyun, Ki-Taeg Jang
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Korea.
Introduction:
The aim of this study was to examine whether there is a relationship between the position of impacted maxillary canines and the morphology of the maxilla.
Methods:
The palatally impacted canine group included 18 boys and 27 girls with an average age of 12 years 9 months (±2 years 1 month). The buccally impacted canine group comprised 19 boys and 26 girls with an average age of 12 years 2 months (±1 year 4 months). Arch length/intermolar width × 100 was used as the value for comparison of maxillary arch shapes, and palatal vault depth/intermolar width × 100 was used to compare the shapes of palate between the 2 groups. Each category was directly measured from the diagnostic model.
Results:
Both the arch length/intermolar width × 100 and the palatal vault depth/intermolar width × 100 formulas showed statistically significant differences (P <0.0001), indicating differences in the shape of maxillary arch and the palatal vault between the 2 groups.
Conclusions:
The shape of the maxillary arch was narrower and longer in the palatally impacted canine group compared with the buccally impacted canine group, and the palatally impacted canine group had a deeper palatal vault than did the buccally impacted canine group.
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