Relationship between the curve of Spee and dentofacial morphology evaluated with a 3-dimensional reconstruction method in Korean adults.

Introduction: The purposes of this study were to examine the curve of Spee of the maxillary and mandibular arches by using a 3-dimensional reconstruction method and to determine the relationship between the curve of Spee and dentofacial morphology with multiple regression analysis.

Methods: Lateral cephalograms and dental models were evaluated from 18 Korean men and 31 Korean women. The depth of the curve of Spee was measured on the virtual dental models with computer software. Seventeen cephalometric variables related to the lateral cephalograms were analyzed to determine differences in dentofacial morphology. The Pearson correlation analysis and a multiple linear regression analysis were performed to determine the relationship between the curve of Spee as the dependent variable and other cephalometric and dental variables as the independent variables.

Results: The depth of the curve of Spee in the mandibular arch was significantly related to overbite, overjet, and the sagittal position of the mandible with respect to the anterior cranial base. The curve of Spee was not affected by sex.

Conclusions: These results will assist in the determination of the sagittal organization of the teeth as a reference for prosthetic restoration and orthodontic treatment.