Odontometrical Analysis of Filipino Dentition

Abstract

Tooth dimensions in Filipinos were investigated using odontometric methods. Materials used were dental casts taken from Tagalog males living in Manila, the Philippines. Casts of Japanese were measured as comparative data. Mesiodistal and buccolingual crown diameters were measured for each of the 14 teeth of permanent dentition using a digital caliper (0.01 mm).
1. Comparison between Filipinos and Japanese dentition : The mesiodistal crown diameters of the incisors were smaller in Filipinos than in Japanese, but the buccolingual diameters were larger. The canines and premolars were larger in Filipinos than in Japanese, but the molars were smaller in Filipinos. Crown indices showed that the Filipinos had relatively larger buccolingual diameters than Japanese with the exception of the premolars.
2. Comparison with other Mongoloid populations : Southeast Asian sundadonts including Filipinos had larger tooth dimensions than the typical sundadonts, such as Jomon natives and their lineage, but the shapes in sundadonts were similar. Regarding tooth shape, the reduction index in the molars effectively divided the sundadont and sinodont dental groups.