Abstract
Objective: To investigate the applicability of Pont's index for predicting maxillary and mandibular dental arch widths in a Pakistani population.
Materials and methods: A Hirox digital stereomicroscope (SM) (HIROX KH7700 Japan) was used to construct digital models of fabricated plaster casts. Gender differences in the measured totals of the incisor widths, arch widths and expansion indices were evaluated. Pont's correlations were computed between measured and predicted arch widths. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to determine the differences between arch length and arch perimeter groups.
Results: Males had significantly larger mean values for the sums of the incisors, arch widths and expansion indices compared with females (p <= 0.05). There were significant differences observed between the large and small, average and small and the average and large arch length groups (p <= 0.05) in the maxilla, while a significant difference was observed only between the large and small arch length groups in the mandibular arch. Pont's index predictions were consistently less than the actual interpremolar and intermolar arch widths for both genders. The dissimilarity in the predictions for interpremolar width averaged -4.33 mm for males and -4.21 mm for females while the intermolar width averages were -4.93 mm for males and -4.92 mm for females.
Conclusion: The results indicated that Pont's index should not be applied to the Pakistani population. Maxillary and mandibular arch length groups and arch perimeters should be carefully investigated before applying any prediction formulae.