Changes in Spee-Curve Among Teenagers From 13 to 18 year-old

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess changes in the curve of spee of lower dental arch among Vietnamese teenagers from 13 year-old to 18 year-old.
Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted in 35 teenagers (16 boys, 19 girls) having sound and complete permanent dentition without facial anomalies. Their mandibular dental casts were collected at two times: T0, when the children were 13 year-old; T1, when the ones were 18 year-old. The depth and radius of the Spee curve were measured by using standardized photographs of the dental casts and AutoCAD software. Pair sample T Test and Wincoxon Signed Rank Test were applied.
Results: Mean of depth and radii of the curve of Spee had no significant differences between males and females at To and T1 (p>0.05). The curves of Spee changed significantly from 13 to 18 years old, the radii of the spee-curve increased significantly (from 80,78mm ± 19,945 mm at 13 years of age to 104,89mm ± 30,838 mm at 18 years, p < 0,001 ) but the depth of the curves declined significantly from 2,23mm ± 0,478 mm at 13 years of age to 1,75mm ± 0,551 mm at 18 years of age (p<0,001).
Conclusions: There were some some modifications in the curve of Spee among Vietnamese teenagers from 13 to 18 years of age, tt was determined as becoming more flattened