Facial Dimensions for Predicting Maxillary Anterior Teeth Size

Determining the mesiodistal width of the maxillary anterior teeth is crucial in aesthetic dentistry and complete denture prosthodontics, particularly when pre-extraction records are absent. This study evaluated the predictive validity of three facial anthropometric landmarks—interalar distance (IAD), intercanthal distance (ICD), and interpupillary distance (IPD)—for estimating maxillary anterior sextant width, stratified by biological sex. A clinical anthropometric study was conducted on a rigorously standardized cohort of 50 healthy adult subjects (25 males, 25 females) with intact maxillary anterior teeth. Direct clinical dimensions were recorded. Data normality was verified using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and sexual dimorphism was assessed via independent samples t-tests. Sex-stratified simple linear regression analyses were performed for each facial predictor. Inferential analysis revealed significant sexual dimorphism for anterior teeth width, interalar distance, and interpupillary distance, with males exhibiting significantly larger values (p ≤ 0.001). Linear regression modeling demonstrated a striking sex and landmark divergence. For the male subcohort, all facial parameters (IAD, ICD, IPD) failed to establish statistical significance (p > 0.05) with negligible predictive capacity (R² ≤ 0.01). Similarly, female ICD and IPD models yielded non-significant frameworks. In contrast, female interalar distance (IAD) established a robust, highly significant inverse predictive model (t = -4.845, p = 0.001), explaining 50.5% of the total variance in female anterior tooth width (Teeth Width = 69.764 - 0.957 × IAD). Interalar distance serves as a dependable, evidence-based anthropometric predictor for maxillary anterior tooth width in female patients only. Ocular landmarks (intercanthal and interpupillary distances) and male facial metrics demonstrate a complete lack of predictive utility and should not be clinically utilized for tooth dimension estimation.