Lower intercanine width and gingival margin changes. A retrospective study
Published Online: Dec 13, 2023
Page range: 41 - 45
Received: Apr 01, 2006
Accepted: Feb 01, 2007
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoj-2007-0007
© 2007 Luciane Closs et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Objective
To determine if changes in the lower intercanine widths during orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances result in gingival margin changes around the lower canines and incisors.
Method
Pre- and post-treatment intra-oral photographs and orthodontic study models of 178 Caucasian adolescents (101 female, 77 male) were used. All subjects were treated with fixed appliances. The subjects had mean ages of 11.41 (SD: 1.83) years and 14.91 (SD: 1.78) years on their initial and final records respectively. The latter were taken 28 days or more after the appliances had been removed. The inclusion criteria were: Angle Class I or Class II malocclusion (with or without transverse and/or vertical discrepancies); nonextraction treatment; less than 4 mm crowding or spacing; fully erupted lower incisors and good periodontal health. The intercanine widths and the positions of the gingival margins relative to the maximum curvatures of the labial surfaces of the lower canines and incisors were measured with digital calipers.
Results
A significant association was found between unaltered intercanine widths and coronal migration of the gingival margins (
Conclusions
Following orthodontic treatment coronal migration of the gingival margins around the lower incisors and canines is more likely to be associated with an unaltered intercanine width.