Journal of Dental Research, Vol 65, 1105-1107, Copyright © 1986 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
On the non-existence of compensatory tooth size interaction in a contemporary human population
J. A. Kieser, H. T. Groeneveld and C. B. Preston
Compensatory tooth size interactions between early and later developing
teeth within the same tooth class were empirically evaluated in a sample of
125 study casts of Caucasoid children. Mean buccolingual and mesiodistal
diameters for first and second molars, pre-molars, and incisors were
calculated, and those first developing teeth that were either larger of
smaller than the mean were identified. Pearsonian correlation coefficients
and chi-square tests revealed highly significant positive correlations
between smaller of larger early developing teeth and their later developing
neighbors. This total lack of compensatory tooth size interaction was also
confirmed when outsized teeth (larger of smaller than one standard
deviation from the mean) were used. Similar results were obtained when
tooth size was corrected for arcade length, hence allowing for the
rejection of Sofaer's model of compensatory tooth size interaction.
