Background: The position and eruption of maxillary canines is essential for dental occlusion and facial aesthetics. However, the relationship between impacted maxillary canines, transverse maxillary deficiency, and tongue posture is unclear. Understanding these correlations can provide valuable insights into orthodontic treatment planning and the management of impacted canines. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the correlation between impacted canines, transverse maxillary deficiency, and tongue posture affecting dental occlusion.
Materials and Methods: This in vitro study was conducted at the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics and the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. We included a total of 30 patients which were divided into 2 groups: group A (15 patients) with impacted canines and group B (15 patients) without impacted canines. In this study, Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and lateral cephalograms were used to measure maxillary width and assess tongue posture. The analysis included ANOVA, post-hoc Scheffe tests, and multiple linear regressions.
Result: This study found no significant difference in mesiobuccal width (MAW) between impacted and non-impacted canines (p = 0.43). Although mesio-apical width showed a trend (p = 0.08) Pulpal mesio-buccal width (PMBW) showed no significant difference (p = 0.20), but pulpal mesio-apical width (PMAW) was significant (p = 0.01), suggesting pulp chamber dimension variations. Tongue posture differences weren't significant at L_1, L_2, and L_3, but at L_4 and L_6, impacted canines had lower postures (p = 0.01). At L_7, there was a significant difference (p = 0.01), indicating lower tongue posture in the impacted group.
Conclusion: Impacted maxillary canines may not significantly affect certain maxillary dimensions, such as crown and alveolar widths. However, they may influence tongue position and proximal maxillary alveolar width. These findings underscore the importance of considering impacted canines, as they show a potential impact on dental arch development and occlusal stability. We suggest future research with an effective sample size to further investigate these relationships.
Keywords: Impacted maxillary canines, Transverse maxillary deficiency, Tongue posture, Dental occlusion.
