title: Evaluation of the mandibular arch in patients with impacted permanent lower canines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the features of the mandibular dental arch in subjects presenting with impacted permanent lower canines.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 'impaction group' consisted of 48 Indian subjects with mandibular canine impaction (Females:Males, 1.5:1; mean age, 15.03 ± 0.49 years). The 'control group' was comprised of 96 age-, gender- and malocclusion-matched Indians who were randomly selected from subjects initially screened but who had completely erupted mandibular canines. Arch width, arch length, arch shape and space status (total tooth size, arch-length--tooth-size discrepancy) were assessed using dental models and were compared between the groups using comparative measurements and statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant differences were demonstrated with respect to the arch length, arch shape, total tooth size and arch-length--tooth-size discrepancy (p = 0.03, 0.02, 0.04, 0.01; independent 2-sample t-tests, respectively). Crowding was more prevalent in subjects with impaction than in the controls, with the difference being statistically significant (chi-square = 13.202; degrees of freedom (df) = 4; p = 0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with permanent mandibular canine impaction have adequately wide but shorter lower dental arch forms along with wider mandibular total tooth size and greater arch-length--tooth-size discrepancy when compared with a control sample.
authors.forename: Shikha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Mamta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.forename: Sachin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology*; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000473:pathology; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology*; D003765:Models, Dental; D009811:Odontometry / Q000379:methods; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000473:pathology*