Tooth shape and color as criteria for or against orthodontic space closure in case of a missing lateral incisor.

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the esthetic parameters that are applied, more or less unconsciously, in deciding for or against orthodontic space closure in the case of aplasia or traumatic loss of lateral incisors.

MATERIALS AND METHOD: The width-height index for teeth 13 to 23 was measured on 200 dental students. The VITA Easyshade system was used to determine the components of the tooth color (L, C, h) and to identify differences between each tooth. Eight investigators subjectively assessed digital photographs of the subjects, opting for or against space closure. The Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated for the parameters measured.

RESULTS

A comparison of the parameters showed that not one factor alone was responsible for the decision for or against space closure for esthetic reasons. Orthodontists were more likely to favor space closure when the canine was slightly wider and had a less pointed shape and the differences were very small between canine and central incisor in terms of hue, chroma, and lightness.

CONCLUSION

We observed that the subjective decision on the esthetic aspects of space closure correlates closely with the objective criteria.