Relationship between bilateral congenital absence of maxillary lateral incisors and anterior tooth width

IntroductionThe objective of this study was to assess the relationship between anterior tooth width and the presence or absence of maxillary lateral incisors.MethodsReference models of 106 subjects, 52 with bilateral agenesis of maxillary lateral incisors and 54 fully dentate controls, were examined. The sample was based on orthodontic patients treated over a 10-year period at Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom. Maximum tooth widths were measured by using digital calipers (Tesa Technology, Renens, Switzerland).ResultsIndividual tooth dimensions in the maxillary and mandibular anterior segments were reduced by 0.33 to 0.42 mm, respectively, in subjects with agenesis of the maxillary lateral incisors. Linear regression analysis confirmed that these differences have statistical significance (P <0.001).ConclusionsIsolated bilateral absence of maxillary lateral incisors is associated with reduced mesiodistal tooth widths in both the maxillary and mandibular anterior segments.