IADR Abstract Archives
Molars’ Roots’ Morphology and the Effects on Dental Crowding: the Evolutionary Perspective
Objectives: Dental crowding is the most frequent dental malocclusion in nowadays populations. Knowing the evolutionary processes that led to the current shape and size of our teeth may greatly bear on our understanding of phenomena such as malocclusions, and contribute to their treatment.
Our hypothesis is that evolutionary changes in root morphology may affected the sustainability of the molars to undesirable movements, along with the reduction of the interproximal wear, both are considered to be responsible for dental crowding.
The study aim is to characterize the evolutionary changes in molars’ root morphology, to evaluate its relation to interproximal wear, and to analyze the sustainability of the molars to undesirable movements.
Methods: The study sample included prehistoric Levantine populations; recent modern humans (e.g., Bedouins), epi-paleolithic specimens (e.g., Natufians, Neolithic, Chalcolithic).
Mandibles containing M1 and M2 with full developed roots were scanned using µ C.T. system. Segmentation and 3D reconstruction of the scans were done using Amira software. Measurements of the proximal facets area, characterizing root morphology (centroid size, root shape, furcation height, surface area, root length and cervical area) were done using EVAN Toolbox 1.71 and Rhinoceros 5 software.
Results: Our results indicated a trend of reduction in the robustisty of the molar roots (cervical area, buccao-lingual and mesio-disatl width of the cervix, root surface area) from Natufian to the recent moderns. This reduction trend of root robustisty was found to be accompanied with reduction in the proximal facet area of M1 and M2. Regression analysis reveals the ability to predict the size of the proximal facet area by root measurements (e.g., surface area, root length, cervical width).
Conclusions: Our results might explain the dental crowding in the recent modern population, as the reduction of the roots’ size and robustisty, besides the reduction of the proximal attrition might affected the sustainability of the molars to occlusal forces.
Our hypothesis is that evolutionary changes in root morphology may affected the sustainability of the molars to undesirable movements, along with the reduction of the interproximal wear, both are considered to be responsible for dental crowding.
The study aim is to characterize the evolutionary changes in molars’ root morphology, to evaluate its relation to interproximal wear, and to analyze the sustainability of the molars to undesirable movements.
Methods: The study sample included prehistoric Levantine populations; recent modern humans (e.g., Bedouins), epi-paleolithic specimens (e.g., Natufians, Neolithic, Chalcolithic).
Mandibles containing M1 and M2 with full developed roots were scanned using µ C.T. system. Segmentation and 3D reconstruction of the scans were done using Amira software. Measurements of the proximal facets area, characterizing root morphology (centroid size, root shape, furcation height, surface area, root length and cervical area) were done using EVAN Toolbox 1.71 and Rhinoceros 5 software.
Results: Our results indicated a trend of reduction in the robustisty of the molar roots (cervical area, buccao-lingual and mesio-disatl width of the cervix, root surface area) from Natufian to the recent moderns. This reduction trend of root robustisty was found to be accompanied with reduction in the proximal facet area of M1 and M2. Regression analysis reveals the ability to predict the size of the proximal facet area by root measurements (e.g., surface area, root length, cervical width).
Conclusions: Our results might explain the dental crowding in the recent modern population, as the reduction of the roots’ size and robustisty, besides the reduction of the proximal attrition might affected the sustainability of the molars to occlusal forces.
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