MAXILLARY VERSUS MANDIBULAR ARCH FORM DIFFERENCES IN HUMAN PERMANENT DENTITION ASSESSED BY EUCLIDEAN-DISTANCE MATRIX ANALYSIS

Euclidean-distance matrix analysis (EDMA) was used to analyse the dent al arch form in 50 men and 45 women aged 20-27 yr with sound dentition s. Fourteen landmarks, corresponding to the centres of gravity (centro ids) of the occlusal surfaces of all permanent teeth (right second mol ar to left second molar), were identified on the dental casts of subje cts. All the possible linear distances between pairs of teeth were com puted and maxillary/mandibular arch differences within sex were tested by EDMA. In both sexes, the maxillary arch was larger than the mandib ular arch; arch shape was also significantly different. All teeth cont ributed to the shape difference between arches regardless of gender. E DMA also separated the influence of anterior and posterior teeth in th e determination of upper/lower arch characteristics.