Spacing in the human deciduous dentition in relation to tooth size and dental arch size

Dental casts of 243 preschool children, 129 males and 114 females, aged 2.5-5.5 years, were analysed for the presence of interdental spaces, mesiodistal crown diameters, intercanine width, intermolar width and arch length (circumference). The prevalence of primate spaces (diastemata mesial to the upper canines and distal to the lowers) varied from 65 to 90% by arch and sex; it was lowest in the lower arch especially in females, and highest in the upper. These prevalences did not increase with age; however, other spaces which usually occur between incisors may develop towards the end of the deciduous dentition, commonly in arches with primate spaces. Generally, spacing of the deciduous anterior teeth was significantly related to mesiodistal crown diameter and intercanine arch width. The crowns were significantly broader and the arches significantly narrower in cases with no spaces than in those where spaces existed. As the genetic programming for tooth size also normally affects arch size, greater discrepancies between mesiodistal crown diameters of the deciduous anterior teeth and their permanent successors are probably associated with more deciduous arch spacing.