Mesiodistal and buccolingual crown widths of mandibular molar teeth in adult Sudanese and their clinical correlations

Background and significance: Teeth are the hardest tissues in the human body and preserve their original characteristics for an extended period after death. Measurements of teeth have been used in forensic medicine to determine gender identity, and can help orthodontists and dentistry students with their practical assignments.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefits of measuring crown dimensions in the mesiodistal and buccolingual directions in adult Sudanese mandibular molars.

Materials and methods: A total of 120 healthy extracted mandibular molar teeth were collected from 60 male and 60 female Sudanese adults who attended dental hospitals for different molar tooth extraction conditions in Khartoum, Sudan. Each extracted molar tooth was preserved in a bottle containing 200 ml of 10% formalin solution. The crown teeth were measured mesiodistally and buccolingually, using Vernier calipers. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software.

Results:  Our findings showed that the mean values of the crown width of the molar teeth were larger for men than that of the females. The mean value of the mesiodistal crown width was wider than that of the buccolingual crown width for mandibular molar teeth of adult Sudanese.

Conclusion: The crown measurements for adult Sudanese molar teeth varied by size and sex, and these variations may be useful in forensic medicine, dental, and orthodontics.