Genetic and environmental contributions to the development of dental arch traits: a longitudinal twin study

This study aimed to estimate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to phenotypic variations of dental arch traits from primary to permanent dentition stages.

Digital dental models of 188 Australian twin pairs (90 monozygotic and 98 dizygotic) in the primary dentition stage, followed up through the mixed and permanent dentition stages, were included in the study. Landmarks were identified on both maxillary and mandibular dental arches in MeshLab for measuring intercanine widths, intermolar widths, arch lengths, overjet, overbite and molar relationships. Genetic structural equation modelling was performed on the quantitative twin data of dental arch traits.

The phenotypic variance of dental arch traits was generally best explained by a model incorporating additive genetic (A) and non-shared environmental (E) components, an AE model. However, the variance of overjet in the primary dentition was best explained by shared environmental (C) and non-shared environmental (E) components. Heritability estimates were high for intra-arch traits (0.65-0.88), but low to moderate for inter-arch traits (0.21-0.51). While heritability estimates fluctuated for most traits from primary to permanent dentition stages, the estimates for arch lengths and intermolar widths were mostly above 0.8 throughout development.

Only twins of European descent were included in this study.

Dental arch traits were mostly influenced by additive genetic and non-shared environmental factors during development. Except for arch lengths and intermolar widths, genetic and environmental influences on dental arch traits fluctuated during development, with the genetic influence at its lowest during the mixed dentition stage.