Comparison of Mean Mandibular Dental Arch Dimensions and Preformed Copper Nickel Titanium Archwire Dimensions: A Retrospective Study

Aim: Selection of an appropriate archwire form is critical for maintaining the natural dental arch and ensuring post-treatment stability. Preformed copper-nickel-titanium (CuNiTi) archwires are widely used in contemporary orthodontics and are often designed with broader arch forms. This study aimed to determine the average mandibular dental arch dimensions to compare them with those of preformed CuNiTi archwires.Materials and Methods: Three-dimensional intraoral scans of 44 individuals with untreated class I malocclusion and minimal crowding/diastema were evaluated. Mandibular intercanine and intermolar widths, as well as canine and molar arch depths, were measured using a bracket slot point-based reference system. Eleven commonly used preformed CuNiTi archwires from five manufacturers were selected, and their corresponding dimensions were measured. Differences between individual dental arch measurements and corresponding archwire dimensions were analyzed using one-sample t-tests, with p < 0.05 as the level of statistical significance.Results: All evaluated preformed CuNiTi archwires differed significantly from the natural mandibular intercanine width (p <0.05). In the intermolar region, Cu Nitanium ProForm – Lower, Cu Nitanium DL-X - Universal, and Tanzo Mid Form III archwires showed no significant difference from the natural mandibular width (p > 0.05), whereas the remaining archwires demonstrated significant discrepancies.Conclusion: None of the evaluated archwires matched the intercanine width, and limited compatibility was observed in the intermolar region. These findings suggest that dimensional discrepancies are mainly concentrated in the intercanine region, emphasizing the importance of individualized archwire selection to preserve mandibular arch stability.