Correlation of Various Anatomical Facial Landmarks with Inter-Canine Distance in Population of Northern Punjab

  • Toqeer Ahmed Iqbal Farooq Teaching Hospital/Akhtar Saeed Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
  • Saira Jawed HBS Medical and Dental College, Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Shazia Imran NUST School of Health Sciences
  • Huma Beenish NUST School of Health Sciences
  • Syed Irfan Raza Arif Farooq Teaching Hospital/Akhter Saeed Medical Collage

Abstract

Background & Objective: The optimal alignment of teeth and face proportion significantly
contributes to a balanced face appearance. Significant ethnic variations in anatomy have been
observed, and incorporating these standard measurements in prosthodontic intervention can
greatly enhance outcomes. The study objective was to correlate various anatomical facial
landmarks, including intercanthal distance (ICD), interpupillary distance (IPD), and inter-alar
width, with inter-canine distance (ICaD) in young adults from the northern Punjab population in
Pakistan, to assess the mesiodistal width of anterior maxillary teeth in edentulous patients.
Methods: This prospective observational cross-section study was conducted at the Department
of Anatomy and Prosthodontics of General Hospital, HBS Medical and Dental College,
Islamabad, and Farooq Teaching Hospital, Akhtar Saeed Medical College, Rawalpindi, from
December 2022 to December 2023. A total of 600 healthy individuals aged between 18 and 26
years were included. ICD, IPD, and inter-alar width were measured with a digital caliper having
a precision of 0.01 mm. A flat metal plate shaped like a "T," known as the "canine tip marker,"
was used to identify the tips of maxillary canines, which were then measured using a digital
caliper. Data was analyzed using SPSS v 25, employing independent t-tests and ANOVA for
statistical evaluation.
Results: The age of individuals was 24.98±4.5 years, with an equal male-to-female ratio of 1:1.
The correlation was significant (p < 0.001) between these anatomical landmarks and ICaD, with
inter-alar width showing the strongest correlation (r = 0.640). The ANOVA test revealed that
most individuals had less than 5% variability between actual and calculated ICaD values for all
extraoral anatomical facial landmarks measurements, except for ICD.
Conclusion: When selecting artificial teeth, it is important to consider a combination of various
facial and oral factors. The regression equation can be effectively applied in selecting teeth to
attain significant results.
Keywords: Anatomy; Alar; Face; Intercanthal; Interpupillary; Inter-canine distance.

Published
2025-01-06
Section
Original Articles