Evaluation of the current techniques and introduction of a novel approach for estimating maxillary anterior teeth dimensions in Kashmiri population

Introduction: Several techniques and methods have been advocated to estimate the anterior teeth dimensions in edentulous patients. However, this procedure remains challenging especially when preextraction records are not available. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate maxillary anterior dimensions using extraoral and intraoral methods for Kashmiri population. Materials and methods: Extraoral and intraoral measurements were recorded for a total of 154 subjects. Descriptive statistical analysis and Pearson’s correlation tests were performed. Association was evaluated between combined anterior teeth width (CATW) and interalar width (IAW), intercommisural width (ICoW) and interhamular notch distance (IHND) plus 10 mm. Evaluation of the linear relationship between central incisor length (CIL) with facial height (FH) and CIW with bizygomatic width (BZW) was also performed. Results: Significant correlation was found between the CATW and ICoW and IAW (p-values <0.0001); however, no correlation was found relative to IHND plus 10 mm (p-value = 0.456). Further, no correlation was found between the FH and right CIL and BZW and right CIW (p-values = 0.255 and 0.822). CIL, CIW, incisive papillae-fovea palatinae (IP-FP), and IHND were used to estimate the central incisor dimensions like; CIL = FP-IP distance/4.45, CIW = IHND/4.49. Conclusion: It was concluded that the ICoW and IAW measurements are the only predictable methods to estimate the initial reference value for CATW. A proposed intraoral approach was hypothesized for estimation of CIW and CIL for the given population.