Use of nasal width to estimate the mesio-distal widths of maxillary anterior teeth in a Kenyan population of African descent

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the nasal width and the mesio-distal widths of the maxillary anterior teeth in Kenyans of African descent. Study design: Descriptive cross-sectional study Setting: College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya. Subjects: One hundred and forty six undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18-30 years were recruited into the study. Results: Out of the 146 participants, 78 (53.4%) were males and the rest were females. The overallmeannasal width was 39.54 ± 3.61mm with males having significantly higher mean values compared to females (41.37 ± 3.04mm and 37.45 ± 3.05mm respectively), (t=7.75, p<0.05).The mean of the combined mesio-distal width of the anterior teeth (CMDWAT) was 47.68 ± 2.55mm with males having significantly higher mean values (48.12±2.49mm)comparedtothefemales(47.16±2.55mm),(t=2.30,p<0.05).Astatistically significant but weak positive correlation was found between the NW and CMDWAT (r=0.26, r2=0.07, p<0.05). Conclusion: The results suggest a very weak positive correlation between NW and CMDWAT and NW was reliable in estimating the CMDWAT in only 7% of the population. Therefore, NW may not be a reliable guide when used to estimate the CMDWAT in the population studied.