title: A secondary analysis to determine variations of dental arch measurements with age and gender among Ugandans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dental arch dimensions are useful in dental practice and in forensic odontology. Local data is essential because ethnic differences exist in dental arch dimensions. In the Ugandan population no studies had been done on dental arch dimensions. The objective of the current study was to determine the variations in dental arch dimensions with age and gender in a sample of dental casts from the Ugandan population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a secondary analysis of dental casts previously prepared using mandibular and maxillary arch impressions of 220 children (85 boys and 135 girls) aged 12-17 years recruited from schools in Kampala, Uganda. Dental arch dimensions for the maxilla and mandibular casts were taken using a digital vernier calliper. The data was analysed using the means based independent samples t test to obtain the descriptive statistics with regression analysis being used to obtain the regression coefficients and constants using STATA 12.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall maxillary dimensions were significantly smaller in females than males by 1.50 mm (95% CI -2.91 to -0.09, P = 0.04), controlling for age group. The overall dimensions of the mandible were also smaller in younger participants, though this was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From this study we observed significant differences in arch dimensions between males and females that are of forensic value for this population. There is need for more study of the differences in arch dimensions with age using a larger and more age diverse study population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, New Mulago Hospital Complex, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda, East Africa. hilderokori@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hilda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okori
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, New Mulago Hospital Complex, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda, East Africa. shapolot@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Pricilla S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Apolot
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, New Mulago Hospital Complex, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda, East Africa. Erisamwaka@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Erisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mwaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, New Mulago Hospital Complex, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda, East Africa. tumurald@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tumusiime
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, New Mulago Hospital Complex, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda, East Africa. wbuwembo@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Buwembo
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, New Mulago Hospital Complex, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda, East Africa. imunabi@chs.mak.ac.ug.
authors.forename: Ian G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Munabi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003481:Cuspid / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008963:Molar / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009811:Odontometry / Q000379:methods*; D009929:Organ Size; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D014454:Uganda