A comparison of 15 year old children with excellent occlusion and with crowding of the teeth, Angle Class I malocclusion, in respect of face size and shape and tooth size.

The biological conflict that manifests itself in crowding of the teeth in man has fascinated orthodontists for generations. Correlations between tooth size and tooth arrangement can be shown, but such correlations tend to leave much unexplained in practical terms. The present report presents data from a preliminary examination of face size and shape and tooth size in boys and girls of 15-16 years, of which 47 had excellently arranged teeth and 91 showed crowding. Measurements were taken from lateral and posteroanterior cephalometric X-ray films and from dental casts. The statistical test used was the standard student t-test. Girls' faces were found to be on average significantly smaller than boys' whether the teeth were well arranged or were crowded. The comparisons of face size and shape of boys and girls with well arranged teeth with the faces of those with crowded teeth was less definite in its outcome. Girls' total tooth substance was on average significantly smaller than boys' whether the teeth were well arranged or crowded. Boys and girls with crowded teeth had a larger mean total tooth size than boys and girls with well arranged teeth.