Predicting Dental Cervical Morphology Through Three-Dimensional Facial Parameters

The abutments produced with circular symmetry failed to accurately replicate the natural teeth's cervical shapes. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of facial parameters in predicting dental cervical morphology (DCM) of the maxillary anterior teeth. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Stomatology Hospital of Fujian Medical University. Facial parameters of participants were obtained using a 3D facial scanner and subsequently imported into reverse engineering software for measurement. DCM data was captured by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Pearson correlation analysis was employed to identify relationships between facial and DCM measurements. Linear regression was performed on significantly correlated variables, while t-tests evaluated the difference of real value and predicted value (α=0.05). A total of 147 volunteers participated in this study. Significant correlations for DCM were observed with interlateral canthus width (LCW) in males (P<0.05) and with intermedial canthus width (MCW) in females (P<0.05). Regression equations based on facial parameters showed no significant differences between predicted and actual values for DCM (P>0.05), with LCW used for males and MCW for females (P>0.05). DCM of the maxillary anterior teeth can be predicted using regression formulas derived from facial widths (LCW and MCW) in Chinese population.