Quantitative description of the morphology of the human palate by a mathematical equation

Objective: To derive a three-dimensional mathematical description of normal human hard tissue palatal size and shape. Methods: The maxillary dental casts of 30 adolescents free from respiratory problems, who had a complete (28 teeth) permanent sound dentition with nor mal occlusion, were studied. The x, y,z coordinates of several standardized palatal and dental landmarks were obtained with a computerized three-dimen sional digitizer. Palatal landmarks were used to derive a mathematical equa tion of palatal shape in the frontal and sagittal planes. Palatal width, le ngth, frontal and sagittal heights, and sagittal slope, as well as dental a rch transverse and anteroposterior dimensions, were computed. Results: Neither the size nor the shape of the palate was significantly inf luenced by gender. Only the intercanine distance was larger (p < .025) in m ales than in females. Conclusions: Data collected in the present investigation could represent a first database for the quantitative description of normal human palatal mor phology in subjects with a complete permanent dentition.