Abstract

This research intended to examine the morphometric relationship between the face and inverted maxillary central incisor in Malays and Chinese. 120 volunteers who met defined criteria participated in the study. Measurements were made directly and on digital images of each subject’s frontal facial view and the corresponding stone cast of the maxillary teeth. An image analyzer was used to divide the image of the face into 14 equal vertical sections from the pogonion to the widest area at the level of the nasion. Similar divisions were made on the labial aspect of the image of the inverted central incisor from the cervical area to the widest area of the incisal region (at the bi-contact level). In a later part of the study, 3 dentists were asked to assess the visual similarity between the form of the face and the form of the inverted central incisor. A statistically significant metric correlation was found between the 14 vertical sections of the face and those of the central incisor (p<0.05), indicating the presence of harmony between the face and tooth form in the Malays and Chinese. There is an agreement between the form of the inverted central incisor and the form of the face in Malays and Chinese. This matching is useful when selecting artificial anterior teeth in edentulous patients.

Key words: Morphometric relation, digital image analyzer, central incisor-face form matching.