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Force System with Vertical V-Bends: A 3D In Vitro Assessment of Elastic and Rigid Rectangular Archwires
Published on: July 24, 2018
From bite marks to vertical facial phenotype: Investigating the relationship between craniofacial and dental arch
Elis Dayan1, Merve Kurnaz2, Özgür Önder Kuşçu1
1Istanbul Kent University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Objective:
This study aims to investigate whether a relationship exists between craniofacial structures and bite marks, thereby enabling the prediction of facial type based on bite mark characteristics.
Materials And Methods:
Thirty-eight volunteers (aged 19-25) without orthodontic treatment, craniofacial anomalies, or temporomandibular dysfunction participated. Bite marks were created on wax-covered sponge rollers. Intercanine distance, arch depth, and arch length were measured from wax models using a caliper and from intraoral scans using the iTero Scanner. Facial profile photographs were analyzed using GIMP software to calculate FH/GoMe angle and LFH/TFH ratio (Lower face height/Total face height). Statistical analyses included intraclass correlation, Wilcoxon and paired t-tests, and Spearman's correlation (p < 0.05).
Results:
Significant differences were found between wax and digital measurements except for arch lenght. FH/GoMe angle correlated with upper and lower wax arch lengths, and LFH/TFH ratio correlated with lower arch length. No correlation was found between the facial type parameters and intercanine and arch depth measurements.
Conclusion:
Although distortion may influence wax impressions, the correlations observed suggest that certain bite mark metrics-particularly lower arch length-may provide morphologic indicators of facial phenotype. These findings are preliminary and not intended for individual identification; larger, diverse samples are needed to validate their forensic relevance.
