Assessment of transverse asymmetry in unilateral palatal canine impaction, when compared with contralateral non impacted side: a posteroanterior cephalometric evaluation

Background: Impaction of tooth is a retardation or halt in the normal process of eruption. After the third molar, maxillary canine is the most frequently impacted tooth in the dental arch. The treatment of impacted teeth has caught the imagination of many in dental profession. However, the orthodontic / surgical modality has achieved the most satisfactory result in long-term. Aims and objectives: This study was aimed to measure and compare the linear and angular measurements and to perform maxillomandibular asymmetry comparison in transverse dimensions on impaction side with contralateral non impacted side. Materials and Methods: A total sample of 30 subjects in different malocclusion groups with unilateral palatally impacted canines were included. The age groups 13–30 years were included with male and female subjects. The linear and angular parameters were measured and variation was studied and maxillomandibular asymmetry comparison was done on impaction side with contralateral non impacted side, mean values, SDs, and P values were calculated by applying descriptive statistics along with student’s independent t-test by using statistical software SPSS (version 20.0) and Microsoft Excel. The level of significance was set at p value < 0.05. Results: Descriptive statistical analysis was first done to find out the mean of each linear and angular parameter along with standard deviation. Then comparison was made between the impaction side with contralateral non impacted side by using student’s independent t-test. Statistically significant difference was found in nasal cavity width between two sides. The distance from the centre of the canine crowns to median sagittal plane and angulation of long axis of canine to Za-Za plane was also found statistically significant between two sides, and on doing the maxillomandibular comparison of asymmetry, no statistically significant difference was found. Conclusions: This study concluded that the distance of canines on the impaction side from mid sagittal plane are decreased and long axis of canines showed more obtuse angulation with respect to the selected plane and there was decreased nasal cavity width on impaction side when compared with contralateral non impacted side. No maxillomandibular asymmetry was present in subjects with unilateral palatal canine impaction.