Evaluating the reliability of the interalar width and intercommissural width as guides in selection of artificial maxillary anterior teeth: A clinical study

Objective: Oral rehabilitation of a completely edentulous patient is essential to improve the patients self-esteem and self-confidence through the fabrication of conventional or implant supported overdentures. To achieve this, there is a need to restore the natural appearance of the patient through appropriate anterior tooth selection which requires reliable guidelines. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the correlation and evaluate the reliability of the interalar width to intercanine distance and intercommissural distance to the distal aspects of the canines in the selection of maxillary anterior teeth. Materials and Methods: Two-hundred individuals who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected. The four parameters such as interalar width, intercanine distance, intercommissural width, and distance between distal aspects of canines were measured. The data obtained were statistically analyzed. Results: The results revealed that the mean values for interalar width and intercanine distance in males were 3.852 and 3.538 cm, respectively, and in females, it was 3.396 and 3.402 cm, respectively. In addition, the mean values for intercommissural width and distance between the distal aspects of canines were 4.921 and 3.913 cm in males, respectively. In females, it was 4.590 and 3.740 cm, respectively. In males and females, the correlation between interalar width and the difference between the intercanine distance and interalar width is statistically highly significant (in males r = 0.707, in females r = 0.619). Correlation of difference of intercommissural width and the distance between the distal aspects of the canines with the average of intercommissural width is statistically significant (in males r = 0.777, in females r = 0.712). Conclusion: A correlation was observed between the interalar distance and the intercanine distance and also between the intercommissural distance and the distance between the distal aspects of canines. Clinical Relevance To Interdisciplinary Dentistry It is the dentists' responsibility to preserve the natural dignity of advancing age while fabricating a complete denture prosthesis, with appropriate and careful selection and arrangement of teeth As it is difficult to determine the dimensions of the maxillary anterior teeth for an edentulous patient when preextraction records are not available, other guidelines must be taken into consideration and the development and implementation of an esthetic proforma to guide the dentist and patient may be essential One area of prime concern may be to determine correlations and relationships between interalar width and intercommissural width with the mesiodistal width of upper anterior teeth which can be interpreted as a useful guide in clinical practice.