[Evaluation of the relationship between the shape of the face and the shape of the maxillary central incisors in 18 to 25 year old students]

ABSTRACT

The shape of a patient face is commonly used as a reference to select the shape of the maxillary central incisors in edentulous patients. The validity of this relationship has not been proved. The objective of this clinical study was to determine whether a relationship exists between maxillary central incisor and face shape. In this descriptive analytical study two standard digital photographs of 186 students were made, one full face and the other from two maxillary central incisor's computer software named PhotoShop [7.0] was used for assessing correlation between tooth and face formed by superimposition. A visual analysis was made to determine the extent of correlation. In addition, the overall shape of the face and teeth was classified in ovoid, square, tapered, square-tapered and tapered- square groups and compared to gather. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square and Fisher's Exact tests. The comparison of the face shapes with the reverse out line forms of left and right maxillary central incisors showed that 24% of cases had unsimilar faces and tooth forms, 51% had similar face and tooth firms and only 25% had correspond state. Women produced a better match than men 44% of subjects had the same tooth and face forms but for 56% of subjects, they were different. In this study correspondence between face and tooth forms occurred in one forth of cases. As a conclusion, no significant relationship existed between the face shapes and the inverted tooth forms