The morphology of canines in relation to preadjusted appliances

The canine occupies the transition from anterior to posterior occlusion. Following orthodontic treatment the canine's incisal edge occlusion demonstrates the tip and torque present in the appliance that was used. The effective torque of the bracket, however, is influenced by the tooth morphology at the bracket's base. The morphology of the facial surface can be described by an angle formed between the tangent at the point of bracket placement and the long axis of the crown. In this study, tangent angles at four millimeters and five millimeters from the cusp tip of 100 maxillary and 70 mandibular canines were determined. There was a significant difference between tangent angles at the same location on different canine teeth and also at different locations on the same canine tooth. Proximal collum angles were also measured in this study and there was a significant negative proximal collum angle in maxillary canines and a significant positive proximal collum angle in mandibular canines. The presence of these normal biologic variables will either enhance or minimize the torque supplied by preadjusted appliances, depending on a combination of prescription used and biologic variable present.