JPAFMAT2008;8(1).

ISSN09725687

SIGNIFICANCEOFMESIODISTALDIAMETEROFTHEMANDIBULARPERMANENTCANINEINSEXUAL
DIMORPHISM
Dr.SubhashKaushal,MD,Professor&Head,DepartmentofAnatomy,Govt.MedicalCollege,Patiala
Dr.UshaChhabra,MD,AdditionalProfessor,DepartmentofAnatomy,Govt.MedicalCollege,Patiala.
Dr.BinduAggarwal,MD,AssistantProfessorDepartmentofAnatomy,GianSagarMedicalCollege,Ram
Nagar,Banur.Punjab.
Dr.SanjaySingla,MD,MedicalOfficer,DepartmentofCardiology,Govt.MedicalCollege,Patiala.

Abstract
Teethareknownforbeingthemostresistantmineralizedtissueagainstdifferentagentsofdestruction.
Theyareusefulindeterminationofgenderbyusingdifferentodontometrictechniques.Incaseswhere
postcranial bones are fragmented or unavailable, measurements of the mandibular canine tooth can
provideameanofdeterminingsexasamongstalltheteeth,themandibularcaninesarefoundtoexhibit
greatestsexualdimorphism.Inthepresentstudy,themesiodistaldiameterofthemandibularcanines
was measured in 60 North Indian subjects (M: F:: 30: 30) in the age group of 1721 years. The
mesiodistal diameter of the Indian population was compared with that of different populations. This
comparisonwasdoneasfactorssuchasrace,sex,heredity;nutritionandenvironmentareknowntobe
responsiblefortoothsizevariability.Itwasfoundthatinallthepopulations,themesiodistaldiameterof
themalesexceededthatofthefemales.
Keywords:Mandibular,Canines,Mesiodistaldiameter.
female,atanequalage,whichcanbeappliedto
dental identification, because no two mouths
arealike[5].

Introduction
Teeth are restricted to the jawed vertebrates
and can be regarded as new acquisitions for
seizing,holdingandmasticatingfood[1].Except
in mankind, teeth are necessary for survival in
most mammals and other vertebrates, and
longevity is related to the endurance of the
dentition under the abrasive process of
mastication[2].

Thepresentstudyestablishestheimpactofthe
sex factor on the morphometry of the
mandibular canines. The result indicates that
thedimorphisminmandibularcaninescanbeof
immensemedicolegaluseinidentification.
MaterialandMethods

Teeth are the most indestructible part of the

body and exhibit the least turnover of natural
structure, and are readily accessible for
examinationanddonotneedspecialdissection.
Henceteethprovideexcellentmaterialinliving
andnonlivingpopulationsforanthropological,
genetic,
odontological
and
forensic
investigations[3].

SelectionCriteria
Sixty subjects, 30 males and 30 females in the
age group of 17 21 years were selected for
this study. This age group was selected, as
attrition is minimal in this age group [6]. The
study was conducted on the students of
GovernmentMedicalCollege,Patiala.

Thesciencedealingwithestablishingidentityby
teeth is popularly known as Forensic
odontology or Forensic dentistry [4]. Sexual
dimorphism referstothosedifferencesinsize,
structure and appearance between male and

InclusionCriteria
Subjectswiththefollowingstatusofteethwere
includedinthestudy:

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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Healthystateofgingivaandperiodontium.
Cariesfreeteeth.
Normaloverjetandoverbite.
Absenceofspacingintheanteriorteeth.
Normalmolarandcaninerelationship.

INSTRUMENT
The measurements of teeth were taken on an
anatomically sound basis. All measurements
were taken using a vernier caliper, taking into
accounttheerrorifany,intheinstrument.The
caliperusedhadaresolutionof0.02mm.Alsoa
dividerwith afixingdevisewasusedfortaking
themeasurements.

Fig1RightCanineWidth

MeasurementProcedure
ThismethodwasadoptedfromKaushal[7].The
variousparametersoftheteethweremeasured
using dividers with a fixing devise and vernier
caliperswitharesolutionof0.02mm.
1.Makingofstudycasts
Impressionsofmandibulararchesweretakenin
alginate impression material and later study
casts were prepared with stone plaster. The
measurements were conducted on these study
castsusingverniercalipers.
2. Measuring the width of the mandibular
canines.

Fig2LeftCanineWidth

Observations
The mesiodistal diameter was measured from
the study casts and the result showed that the
mesiodistaldiameterinthemaleswas7.23mm
ontherightsideand7.38mmontheleftside.

The width of the mandibular canines taken as

Table No. 1: Statistical Significance of Left
the greatest mesiodistal width between the
MesiodistalDiameter
contact points of teeth on either side
Mean
tstat pvalue Significance
(Figure1&2)ofjawwastakenonthestudy Sex
(mm) S.D.
casts. The data obtained was computed,
Males
7.387 0.322 10.48 <0.001 Highly
tabulatedandstatisticallyanalyzedwiththe
Significant
0.254
purposeofestablishingsexualdimorphism. Females 6.6

In the females the mesiodistal diameter was

foundtobe6.58mmontherightsideand6.60
mmontheleftside.

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Table No. 2: Statistical Significance of Right

MesiodistalDiameter
Sex

Mean S.D. tstat pvalue

(mm)
Males
7.231 0.376 7.34 <0.001
Females 6.585 0.300

Significance

and environmental factors such as race, sex,

heredity, environment, secular changes and
bilateralasymmetry
Inspiteofthetoothsizevariabilityfactors,the
studiesconductedbyGhoseandBaghdady[12]
onIraqipopulation,SherfudinandKhan[13]on
Saudi Arabian population, Lysell and Myrberg
[14]onSwedishpopulationandbyBishara[15]
on populations of Egypt, Mexico and Lowa
(United States) showed the consistent finding
that the mesiodistal width of the mandibular
canines is more in the males than the females
andthedifferenceisstatisticallysignificant.

Highly
Significant

FromthetableNo.1,itisevidentthattheright
canine width is found to be statistically
significantformalesandfemales.
From the table No. 2, it is evident that the left
canine width is found to be statistically
significantformalesandfemales.

Comparison of Mesiodistal Diameter of the

RightPermanentMandibularCanine

Discussion

Fromtheabovetable,itisevidentthattheright
canine width as measured for males and
females when compared are found to be
statisticallysignificant.

Thepresentstudyestablishestheexistenceofa
definite
statistically
significant
sexual
dimorphism in mandibular canines. The
measurements of linear dimensions which
includes the mesiodistal width of canine teeth
has the advantage of being able to use a large
sample of population because it is simple,
inexpensiveandeasytoperform.Malesexhibit
larger mesiodistal width than females. It is
consistentwithNair[8]whoconductedastudy
on South Indian males and females in the age
groupof1628yearsandfoundthatthecanines
in both jaws exhibited a significant sexual
difference. Lew and Keng [9] give similar
findings in their study on ethnic Chinese
populationwithnormalocclusions.

Table No. 3: Comparison of Mesiodistal

Diameter of the Left Permanent Mandibular
Canine

Gabriel[10]hasstressedthatanymeasurement
of teeth unaccompanied by age, race and sex
must be treated with great reserve. Amongst
the significant findings that can be obtained
from teeth are race, age, sex, habits and racial
customs. Molnar [11] found the existence of a
positive correlation between tooth wear and
culturalfactors.

Population

Male(mm)

Female(mm)

Egypt
Mexico
Lowa(USA)
Iraq
SaudiArabia
Sweden
India

6.9
6.9
6.8
7.04
7.23
7.0
7.38

6.6
6.4
6.4
6.82
5.61
6.62
6.60

Fromtheabovetable,itisevidentthattheright
canine width as measured for males and
females when compared are found to be
statisticallysignificant.
Caninesdifferfromotherteethwithrespectto
survival and sex dichotomy. These differences
probably are related to their function, which is
different on an evolutionary basis from other
teeth. In carnivores and most primates, the
chieffunctionofthecaninesisnotmasticatory,
butrelatedtothreatofaggression.Survivalwas

The mesiodistal width of the mandibular

caninesoftheIndianpopulationwascompared
with that of other populations. Comparison
between the different populations is done as
variation in tooth size is influenced by genetic

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JPAFMAT2008;8(1).ISSN09725687

thus dependant on canines especially in the

males.Thus,inthepresentdayhumans,sexual
dimorphism in mandibular canines is expected
tobebasedonfunctionalactivity[16].
Moss and Salentijn[17] proposed that a longer
period of amelogenesis in the males could be
responsible for the dental dimorphism.
Garn[18] found that it is the Y chromosome,
which intervenes most in the size of teeth by
controlling the thickness of dentine, whereas
the X chromosome only comes into play
concerningthethicknessofenamel.
It can thus be concluded that the mesiodistal
diameterofthepermanentmandibularcanines
isasignificantparameterinsexualdimorphism.
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