Intra-arch and Inter-arch Relationships in the Primary Dentition of Senegalese School Children aged 5-6 years

Abstract

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the features of the deciduous dentition in Senegalese school children aged
5-6 years.

Methods: Sociodemographic data were registered and from the dental casts of the children, parameters related to intra-arch and interarch relationships were collected (presence/absence of anthropoid spaces, molar and canine relationships, arch perimeter and width of the anthropoid and interincisal spaces in mm).

Results: The sample was made up 201 subjects (96 girls and 105 boys) with analysable study casts. With respect to intra-arch
relationships, maxillary and mandibular anthropoid spaces are present in respectively 92.45 and 70.3% of the children. Regarding
inter-arch relationships, flush terminal plane predominated followed by mesial step plane. The relationships between the upper and lower canine in the sagittal plane are mostly Class 1 (95%). As for the transverse plane, the majority of subjects (91.7% of the girls, 96.2% of the boys) has normal relationships (p = 0.24). Almost half had a positive overjet > 2mm and reverse overjet accounted for 1 and 2% respectively for girls and boys.

Conclusion: The majority of subjects in this sample display intra-arch and inter-arch relationships favouring normal occlusal relationship of the permanent dentition.