title: Comparison of arch form between ethnic Malays and Malaysian Aborigines in Peninsular Malaysia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine and compare the frequency distribution of various arch shapes in ethnic Malays and Malaysian Aborigines in Peninsular Malaysia and to investigate the morphological differences of arch form between these two ethnic groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 120 ethnic Malay study models (60 maxillary, 60 mandibular) and 129 Malaysian Aboriginal study models (66 maxillary, 63 mandibular). We marked 18 buccal tips and incisor line angles on each model, and digitized them using 2-dimensional coordinate system. Dental arches were classified as square, ovoid, or tapered by printing the scanned images and superimposing Orthoform arch templates on them.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common maxillary arch shape in both ethnic groups was ovoid, as was the most common mandibular arch shape among ethnic Malay females. The rarest arch shape was square. Chi-square tests, indicated that only the distribution of the mandibular arch shape was significantly different between groups (p = 0.040). However, when compared using independent t-tests, there was no difference in the mean value of arch width between groups. Arch shape distribution was not different between genders of either ethnic group, except for the mandibular arch of ethnic Malays.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ethnic Malays and Malaysian Aborigines have similar dental arch dimensions and shapes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Children's Dentistry and Orthodontic, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Siti Adibah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Othman
authors.forename: Eunice Soh
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Xinwei
authors.forename: Sheh Yinn
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Marhazlinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jamaludin
authors.forename: Nor Himazian
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Zamros Yuzaidi Mohd
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Yusof
authors.forename: Lily Azura
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Shoaib
authors.forename: Nik Noriah
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Nik Hussein
keywords: Aborigines; Arch dimension; Arch form; Arch shape