The purpose of this study was to investigate whether dimorphism of permanent mandibular and maxillary canine teeth as well as intercanine distance play a role in establishing se\ identity. Five hundred ibree school students from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia comprising of 251 males and 252 females, with age ranging from 15 to 18 years were selected. The greatest mesiodistal width of the canine teeth and the distance between the tips of canines of both arches were measured using vernier caliper with 0.1mm resolution. The procedure of multivariate discriminant analysts was used for establishing the sex identity. The width of (he mandibular and maxillary right and left canine teeth were almost bilaterally symmetrical in females and males. The mean values for left and right mandibular and maxillary canine widths were less for females than for males and the differences were not statistically significant. The mean value for mandibular and maxillary intercanine distances for females were less than for males and the differences were statistically significant, (P<0.05 and P<0.0001, respectively). The multivariant discriminant analysis using the canine width and intercanine distance of the mandible and maxilla showed that the rate of correct classification of sex was 55.07% and 65.48%, respectively.

Saudi Dental Journal 1997;9(1):17-20.