The correlation between anterior tooth form and gender - a 3D analysis in humans

This study examined the correlation between maxillary anterior tooth form and gender with three-dimensional data. Three-dimensional digital models of the area between the maxillary right central incisor and the maxillary right canine were obtained from 120 Caucasian subjects (60 males and 60 females) with healthy dentitions. Correlation between gender and tooth form was assessed applying logistic regression, with and without size standardization. Success rates were estimated using 10-fold cross-validation. Principal components that correlated with gender were evaluated with a Wald test. Values for the significance of the predictors were provided with a likelihood ratio test (P < 0.05). Significant correlation between gender and tooth shape was found for the maxillary central incisor (P = 0.003), lateral incisor (P ≤ 0.001), and canine individually (P ≤ 0.001), and for the three teeth combined (P ≤ 0.001) without size standardization. For the maximillary right lateral incisor (P=0.004), canine (P ≤ 0.001), and a correlation of the teeth (P ≤ 0.001), a correlation was also established after size standardization. Prediction of gender was not possible without information on tooth size for the maxillary right central incisor (P =0.15). maxillary anterior teeth have gender-specific differences. Differences in tooth size account for part of the correlation. However, tooth shapes are also gender specific.