Use of Hamular Notch and Incisive Papilla as Guides for Selection of Maxillary Anterior Teeth Width

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the use of specific anatomical landmarks and their relationships, in determination of the width of maxillary anterior teeth. Methods: Eighty maxillary dentate casts from dental students and postgraduate students from University of Khartoum were used in the measurements. The age of the study sample ranged from 25-30 years and comprised of 43 females and 37 males. Distances from the center of the right hamular notch to the center of the left hamular notch (HD), and from the left hamular notch to the incisive papilla (HN-IP), as well as from the right hamular notch to the incisive papilla (HN-IP) were measured using an electronic caliper gauge. The widths of maxillary anterior teeth were measured from distal end of right canine to the distal end of left canine. Results: The HN-IP-HN distance, when divided by 3 (the predicted value), had a mean of 57.7± 2.0 males and 52.9± 2.3 mm. The mean of the actual value (the width of maxillary anterior teeth) was 56.7±1.8 mm among males, while between females the mean of the actual value was 52.9± 2.2 mm.  Conclusion; The results of this study showed that the measurement of HN-IP-HN divided by 3, is approximately  equal to the width of maxillary anterior teeth from the distal end of the right canine to the distal end of the left canine, indicating  that these measurements can be of value when setting teeth in edentulous patients.