A comparison of interalar width and intercanine distance in Malay males and females

Author(s): A.Sh. Dharap and H. Tanuseputro

Source: Anthropologischer Anzeiger, Jahrg. 55, H. 1 (März 1997), pp. 63-68
Published by: E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/29540688
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 Anthrop. Anz. Jg. 55 1 63 - 68 Stuttgart, März 1997

A comparison of interalar width and intercanine dist

in Malay males and females

A.Sh. Dharap and H. Tamiseputro

Anatomy Department, School of Medical Sciences,

Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia

With 3 tables in the text

Summary: The interalar width of the nose and the intercanine distance were measured in
266 Malay subjects (111 males and 155 females) randomly selected from the students of the
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kota Bharu, Malaysia. The mean
interalar width of the nose in male subjects was 39.8 ± 2.3 mm (range 34-45 mm) and in
female subjects 36.2 mm ± 2.2 mm (range 30-41 mm). There is a statistically significant
difference (t = 12.9; p < 0.05) in the nasal width between male and female Malay subjects.
This agrees with the findings of other similar studies that males have wider noses than
females. The mean maxillary intercanine distance in male subjects was 36.7 ± 2.6 mm (range
30-42 mm) and in female subjects 36.2 ± 2.3 mm (range 30-42 mm). The anterior maxillary
arch is significantly wider in Malay subjects compared to Chinese from Singapore (Keng
1986) as p < 0.05 and to Caucasians (Sawiris 1977) as p < 0.05. There is a significant
correlation (r = 0.312; p < 0.05) between the nasal width and the intercanine distance in
female subjects but not in male subjects.

Zusammenfassung: An 266 Malaien (111 Männer und 155 Frauen), die unter den Studen-
ten der School of Medical Sciences der Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kota Bharu (Malaysia)
zufällig ausgewählt worden sind, wurden die Interalarbreite der Nase sowie der Intercanin-
abstand gemessen. Die mittlere Interalarbreite der Nase betrug bei den Männern 39,8 ±
2,3 mm (Variationsbreite 34-45 mm) und bei den Frauen 36,2 ± 2,2 mm (Variationsbreite
30-41 mm). Der Unterschied in der Nasenbreite zwischen malaiischen Männern und Frauen
ist statistisch signifikant, da t = 12,9, p < 0,05. Dies entspricht den Beobachtungen ähnlicher
Untersuchungen, wonach Männer eine breitere Nase besitzen als Frauen. Der mittlere ma-
xi Ilare Intercaninabstand betrug bei den untersuchten Männern 36,7 ± 2,6 mm (Variations-
breite 30-42 mm) und bei den Frauen 36,2 ±2,3 mm (Variationsbreite 30-42 mm). Im Ver-
gleich zu Chinesen aus Singapore (Keng 1986) sowie zu Kaukasiern (Sawiris 1977) ist der
vordere Maxillarbogen bei den Malaien signifikant breiter; p ist jeweils < 0,05. Schließlich
wurde eine signifikante Korrelation (R = 0,312; p < 0,05) zwischen der Nasenbreite und dem
Intercaninabstand bei den Frauen beobachtet, nicht dagegen bei den Männern.

Introduction

One of the factors determining the aesthetic value of the human face is the arrange-
ment of the anterior teeth. Any anomaly in the arrangement of these or in making
prosthetic teeth, therefore, may cause unwanted changes in the facial appearance
(Wilson 1914, Scott 1952).

0003-5548/97/0055-0063 $ 1.50
© 1997 E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, D-70176 Stuttgart

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64 A.Sh. Darap and H. Tanuseputro

The form of the upper lip is influenced by the position of both the upper
canines. If the canines are close together the upper lips tend to protrude. On the
other hand, if the upper canines are too far apart the upper lip tends to sink
inwards. Moreover, the position of the two upper canines determines the position
of the other upper teeth.
Brin et al. (1990) have recently shown that there is signifcant correlation
between nasal width and maxillary incisai alveolar width in post-natal facial
development. Neil & Nairn (1983) state that there is a significant correlation
between the width of the nose and the distance between the upper canines
measured in a straight line. Lee (1962) noted that the interalar width of the nose
was equal to the intercanine distance and therefore could be used to select
prosthetic teeth. This observation, however, does not seem to hold true in Chinese
(Keng 1986). Moreover, these two measurements show ethnic variations
(Montagu 1951, Gunardi 1982, Keng 1986).
The aims of the present study, therefore, were 1) to measure the nasal width and
the distance between the maxillary canines in Malays, 2) to determine if there is a
signifcant correlation between these two measurements in Malay subjects, and
3) to note whether the values of measurements obtained in Malay subjects differ
significantly from values reported in other races.

Material and methods

The sample consisted of 266 adult Malay subjects (111 males and 155 females) selected
randomly from the students of the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia in
Kota Bharu, Malaysia. Students who had undergone previous orthodontic treatment or who
had irregular teeth were excluded from the study. Only those who had a Class I incisai
relationship were selected. Their incisors and canines were in reasonably good alignment
without drifting or overeruption. The teeth showed no obvious anomalies.
Measurements in all female subjects were taken by a female technologist and in all male
subjects by a male technologist, using Vernier callipers reading to the nearest millimetre. The
two were trained together until both were proficient in the technique of measuring the
interalar width of the nose and the intercanine distance. The same observers took these
measurements in all subjects of the same sex.
The intercanine distance was measured by taking the straight distance between the tips
of the upper canines. Three measurements were made for each subjects and the average of
the three readings was used.
Subjects who had deformed or abnormal noses were not selected. The interalar width of
the nose, a standard anthropometric measurement (Hrdlička 1939), was taken. Three
recordings were made for each subject and the average of these three readings was used.
The averages obtained were compared using the Student's t test with a significance of
p < 0.05. Correlation between the nasal width and the intercanine distance was tested by
using the linear regression line.

Results and discussion

The mean age of male subjects in this study was 20.54 ± 1.20 years (range
18.00-26.00 years) and of female subjects 20.21 ± 1.17 years (range 17.00-23.00
years). There was no statistical difference between the ages of males and females
on ANOVA.

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 A comparison of interalar width and intercanine distance in Malays 65

Table 1 gives the mean, standard deviation and range for interalar width of the
nose and intercanine distance in male and female Malay subjects. In our study the
mean value of the distance between the maxillary canines in male and female
subjects was 36.7 ± 2.6 mm (range 30-42) and 36.2 ± 2.3 mm (range 30-42 mm),
respectively. Keng (1986) in his study on Chinese subjects from Singapore ob-
tained mean values of 35.60 mm in males and 34.96 mm in females for intercanine
distance while Gunardi (1982) reported mean values of 37.60 mm and 37.00 mm in
Indonesian male and female subjects, respectively. Sawiris (1977) and Mack (1981)
reported mean values for intercanine distance in Caucasians as 34.88 mm and
34.68 mm, respectively.
When the above readings were compared, statistically significant differences
were found in the mean intercanine distance between Malays and Caucasians
(Sawiris 1977) (t = 2.68; p < 0.05), between Malay and Chinese male subjects
(Keng 1986) (t = 1.99; p < 0.05) and between Malay and Chinese female subjects
(Keng 1986) (t = 2.42; p < 0.05). Difference in the intercanine distance between
Malay and Indonesian subjects (both sexes) (Gunardi 1982), however, was not
statistically significant. The anterior maxillary arch thus appears to be wider in
Malays than in Chinese or Caucasian populations. Alternatively, a more buccal
location of the maxillary canines in Malays could be the reason for this difference
in the intercanine distance.
Table 2 shows the results of comparison of the means of the interalar width of
the nose and the intercanine distance in male and female Malay subjects using the
Student's t test. The mean intercanine distance did not show any statistically
significant difference between males and females (t = 1.57; p > 0.05).
The mean values of intralar width of the nose in male and female Malay
subjects in this study were 39.8 mm and 36.2 mm, respectively. It is generally
accepted that males have wider noses than females; this is supported by the results
of the present study in which the differences in the nasal width between the two
sexes were found to be statistically significant. Malay males having wider noses
than Malay females (t = 12.9; p < 0.05). This differs markedly from the report by
Keng (1986) who could not find such statistically significant difference in Chinese
subjects from Singapore.
Smith (1975) in his study on Caucasian subjects reported mean values of the
interalar width of the nose as 34.6 mm in males and 35.3 mm in females.
Mavroskoufis & Ritchie (1981) obtained a mean value of 35.30 mm for nasal width
in a mixed population. In male and female Chinese subjects mean values for nasal
width were found to be 39.60 mm and 36.41 mm, respectively (Keng 1986), while
Gunardi (1982) reported interalar width of the nose in Indonesian subjects as
39.8 mm and 37.6 mm in males and females, respectively.
Comparison of the above readings with the mean nasal width values of 39.8 mm
and 36.2 mm in male and female Malay subsjects, respectively, shows a statistically
significant difference (p < 0.05) in these values between Malay and Caucasian
(Smith 1975) subjects of both sexes. Similarly, statistically significant difference
(t = 2.56; p < 0.05) was seen in the nasal width of Malay females and Chinese
females from Singapore (Keng 1986) but not between Malay and Indonesian
females (Gunardi 1982). There was no significant difference between the nasal
widths of Malay males and those of Chinese (Singapore) or Indonesian males. The

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66 A.Sh. Darap and H. Tanuseputro

Table 1. The mean, standard deviation and range of the interalar width of the nose and the
intercanine distance in Malay male and female subjects.

Males (n = 111) Females (n = 155)

Mean Range Mean Range

(mm) (mm) (mm) (mm)

Interalar 39.8 34 to 36.2 30 to

width ± 2.3 45 ± 2.2 41

Intercanine 36.7 30 to 36.2 30 to

distance ± 2.6 42 ± 2.3 42

Table 2. Comparison of the me

distance in Malay male and fema

Mean Mean
Sex interalar intercanine t P
width distance
(mm) (mm)

Males 39.8 36.7 9.96 0.001*

Females 36.2 36.2 0.15 0.880
t 12.95 1.57
p 0.001* 0.117

* Statistically significant

Table 3. Correlation between the mean interalar width of the nose and mean intercanine
distance in Malay male and female subjects.

Mean Mean
Sex interalar intercanine t P
width distance
(mm) (mm)

Males 39.8 36.7 0.083 n.s.

(n = 111)

Females 36.2 36.2 0.312 0.0001*

(n = 155)

* Statistically significant n.s. = not significant

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 A comparison of interalar width and intercanine distance in Malays 67

results of this study confirm the observations of Montagu (1951) and other authors
mentioned above, that the nasal width shows racial variations.
The differences in the means of the interalar width of the nose and the
intercanine distance were statistically significant in male subjects (t = 9.96
p < 0.05). Such a statistical significance was, however, not seen in female subjects
(t = 0.15; p> 0.05).
Results of the correlation between the interalar width of the nose and the
intercanine distance in male and female Malay subjects, tested by the linear
regression line, are given in Table 3. There was a significant correlation (r = 0.312;
p < 0.05) between the nasal width and the intercanine distance in female subjects
but no such correlation (r = 0.083; p > 0.05) was found in male subjects. In 1962,
Lee stated that the nasal width was equal to the intercanine distance and hence
could form the basis for selecting prosthetic teeth. Our results show that this is true
for Malay females in whom there is a significant correlation (r = 0.312; p < 0.05)
between the nasal width and intercanine distance (Table 3). Other investigators
(Swissdent 1972, Mavroskoufis & Ritchie 1981, Keng 1986), however, have
reported that the nasal width and the intercanine distance correspond in less than
75 % of subjects studied. This is confirmed by our observations in Malay males in
whom we did not find significant correlation (r = 0.083; p > 0.05) between these
two measurements (Table 3). During development the median nasal process of the
fronto-nasal process determines both nose size and canine position (Hamilton &
Mossman 1976). This could probably explain the statistically significant correla-
tion between nasal width and intercanine distance in Malay females in our study.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Ang Boon Suen for the statistical analysis. Thanks are also due to Ang
Cheng Yong and Nik Ahmad Shah Nik Lah for collection of the data.

References

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Received September 26, 1995

Address for correspondence:

Dr. A.Sh. Dharap, Anatomy Department, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains
Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.

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