TO CORRELATE THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN LINGUAL FRENAL ATTACHMENT AND MANDIBULAR INCISAL EDGE POSITION AS AN AID IN ESTABLISHING MANDIBULAR OCCLUSAL PLANE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY

Background: The determination of vertical dimension, aesthetics, phonetics and incisal guidance, depends on the placement of anterior teeth. Fewer studies are present for mandibular anterior teeth setting. Therefore this study aims at determining the correlation of distance between lingual frenal attachment and mandibular incisal edge position in dentulous subjects as an aid in establishing mandibular occlusal plane in edentulous patients. Methodology: 318 subjects (161 males and 157 females) under the age group of 18 to 30 years, who met the requisite criteria were seleceted. A mandibular cast was obtained from irreversible hydrocolloid impression in stock trays for each subject. The distance between the incisal edge of lower central incisor and anterior attachment of the lingual frenum was measured using digital vernier caliper. Result:It was observed that the distance between anterosuperior attachment of lingual frenumand mesioincisal edge of mandibular central incisor (CI) in female subjects was 12.19, with mean standard deviation (±SD) of 1.34. and 15.91 with mean standard deviation (±SD) 1.32 in male subjects respectively. Conclusion:Thus, the anterior attachment of lingual frenum is a reliable anatomic landmark and shall aid in setting the mandibular central incisors in a more natural position.