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Sri Lanka Dental Journal , 2008 April (Vol:38 No:2)
Other formats: Abstract , PDF
Published on: Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:38:08 +0530
Last updated on: Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:21:57 +0530
Sri Lanka Dental Journal, 2008 April (Vol:38 No:2)
1391-07280
Variation in Enamel Thickness of Human Premolars
ABSTRACT
Objectives
The objectives of the present study were to explore the variation in enamel thickness of maxillary and mandibular premolars between males and females and along the maxillary premolar row.
Material and methods
Ground sections of 24 maxillary permanent first premolars, 22 second premolars and 24 mandibular second premolars were prepared at the bucco lingual plane of the tooth, perpendicular to the cervical margin of the crown, using the half tooth technique. Maximum enamel thickness at three landmarks along the amelodentinal junction i.e., buccal cusp (BC), lingual cusp (LC) and the fissure (F) were measured. Univariate analysis under General Linear Model was used to compare the mean thicknesses using gender, site and tooth as factors.
Results
Females often possessed thicker enamel than males. Enamel was significantly thicker in lingual cusps of females. The fissures showed significantly thinner enamel than in the cusp region. Thicknesses of the enamel of the maxillary first and second premolars were not significantly different at any of the three sites measured.
Conclusions
The present findings suggest that females possess significantly thicker enamel at the lingual cusps compared to males. Further studies with larger samples are recommended to elucidate different patterns of variations in enamel thickness such as the variation along the dental arcade.
Key words
Enamel thickness, premolar, sexual dimorphism
Dr. A.K.S. Arambawatta (Correspondence), BDS, Ph.D. Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya. Peradeniya.
Tel: 081-2397232 E-mail: arambawatta@yahoo.com
FULLTEXT
Introduction
Studies on variation in enamel thickness are
becoming more common. Findings reported on
enamel thickness have clinical, forensic and
anthropological significance. Some of the factors
hypothesized to influence such variations include
genetic and functional demands on teeth. Trends
in enamel thickness variation throughout the molar
row too have been extensively investigated.1,2,3,4,5
Numerous studies have focused on the enamel
thickness variation between sexes, different
species and sub species of primates and among
population groups.1, 6,7, 8, 9,10Although the variations
in the overall size of teeth are very well
documented, the degree of contribution of the
variation in enamel thickness to the variation in
the overall size is yet to be fully understood.1,9,10
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