Mesiodistal tooth width. A comparison between Saudi males and females. Part 1

The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is a significant sex difference or not in the mesiodistal tooth width between Saudi males and females. 720 teeth were measured from a pre-treatment orthodontic study casts with equal distribution of the two sexes. The subjects were aged 13 to 20 years. An electronic digital caliper was used for the measurements. For the statistical analysis the Student's t-test was used. The result of this investigation showed that the canines in both jaws exhibited a significant sex differences while the other teeth did not. Hence, this study confirms results obtained by other investigators and emphasize the fact that mesiodistal tooth width is an important factor in the assessment of crowding, spacing and orthodontic treatment planning.