Evaluation of proximal enamel thickness and crown measurements in maxillary first premolars

ABSTRACT

Estimating enamel thickness and planning the resultant optimal morphology of premolars aresubstantial steps before interproximal stripping. Aim: To analyze proximal enamel thickness andcrown measurements in maxillary premolars. Methods: The mesiodistal, buccolingual andcervico-occlusal measurements of 40 human maxillary first premolars (20 right, 20 left) wereregistered with a digital caliper. The teeth were embedded in acrylic resin and sectioned mesiodistallyat the level of the contact areas to obtain 1 mm-thick central sections. Enamel thickness on theproximal surfaces was measured using a perfilometer. Measurements were compared by theStudent’s t-test (α = 0.05). Results: The mean enamel thickness on the mesial surface was 1.22mm for the right (± 0.17) and left (± 0.18) sides. On the distal surface, the corresponding valueswere 1.28 mm (± 0.19) on the right side and 1.39 mm (± 0.17) on the left side. Mean values, inmillimeters, for the mesiodistal, buccolingual and cervico-occlusal measurements on both sidesranged from 7.03 (± 0.43) to 7.07 (± 0.48), 9.59 (± 0.48) to 9.65 (± 0.58) and 8.65 (± 0.66) to8.85 (± 0.65), respectively. There were no significant differences between right and left teeth.However, enamel thickness was significantly greater (p<0.05) on the distal surface. Conclusions:In maxillary first premolars, considering the greater thickness of distal enamel, interproximalstripping during orthodontic treatment may be more pronounced on this surface. The greatestmean value was observed for the buccolingual crown measurement, followed by the cervicoocclusaland mesiodistal dimensions.