Facial approximation: evaluation of dental and facial proportions with height

Background: Fabrication of complete dentures requires the use of certain guidelines which are placed on the bite blocks to assist the clinician to have the maxillary anterior teeth restored to optimal dento-labial relations, in harmony with the overall facial appearance. Objective: To explore if any relationship exists between dental and facial proportions as well as the height of the individuals. Methods: Two hundred and four dental students of the Obafemi Awolowo University volunteered to participated in the study. The lower facial height, inter incisal, inter canine, and intercommisure distances, as well as the height of the participants were measured. The data were imputed, analyzed, and reported as simple frequency, means and standard deviations using the SPSS vs 11. Statistical significance was inferred at p<0.05. Result: The mean values of all the parameters measured were significantly higher in males than females. None of the mean values measured were coincident. However, a significant correlation exists between intercanine and interincisal distances(r=0.8) while a weak but significant negative correlation exists between the intercanine distance and the difference of the intercommisural and intercanine distances (r=-0.4) Conclusion: The study showed no relationship between intercanine distance, interincisal distance, lower facial height, and the height of the participants with the intercommissural distance. Hence, intercommissural distance may not be used in marking canine line during bite registration procedure. At best, 1.75-2.45 cm should be subtracted from the intercommissural distance to determine the intercanine distance. Key words: facial measurements, intercanine, intercommisur