CORRELATION OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN PTERYGOMAXILLARY NOTCHES AND THE COMBINED WIDTH OF MAXILLARY ANTERIOR TEETH IN DENTATE SUBJECTS - AN OBSERVATIONAL ANALYTICAL STUDY

Purpose: The objective of this study was to find the correlation of the distance between pterygomaxillary notches and the combined width of maxillary anterior teeth.Material &Methods:One hundred and twenty-six maxillary dentulous impressions were made (18-50 years old) using metallic stock tray and irreversible hydrocolloid impression material, then poured in dental stone. The distance between Pterygomaxillary notches and the mesiodistal width of six maxillary anterior teeth were measured by digital vernier calliper on a dental stone cast. The mean of the measurements was statistically analysed using Pearsons correlation co-efficient. Results: The mean distance between pterygomaxillary notches was 39.5 ± 3.7mm and the mean of combined width of six maxillary anterior teeth was 45.5 ± 2.A moderately significant correlation was found for the distance between pterygomaxillary notches and the combined width of maxillary anterior teeth (p<0.01, r=0.335).Only 11.2 percent of the samples showed a correlation between the combined width of maxillary anterior teeth and the distance between the pterygomaxillary notches. Conclusions: The relation between the combined width of maxillary anterior teeth and distance between the pterygomaxillary notches was significant (p<0.01). The distance between pterygomaxillary notches can influence the size of maxillary anterior teeth along with other factors.It was concluded that for every 1mm increase in the distance between the pterygomaxillary notches, there will be a 0.18mm increase in the dimension for the combined width of maxillary anterior teeth.Distance between pterygomaxillary notches is a reliable method for the selection of maxillary anterior teeth. Clinical Relevance To Interdisciplinary Dentistry: 1. This can be used for teeth selection in patients with nasal, eye defects where inter-alar/ inter-pupillary width is not reliable. 2. This correlation can be applied to any restorative procedures involving rehabilitation of maxillary anterior teeth.