An overview on dental arch form and different concepts on arch coordination in orthodontics

One of the most important characteristic of dentition is dental arch form. In orthodontic treatment, it is crucial to understand each individual dental arch for diagnosis and treatment planning and try to preserve it throughout the treatment to achieve a higher stability. Additionally, it is important to maintain a wellestablished coordination between maxillary and mandibular dental arch to have a perfect functional occlusion. In orthodontics up to now, different definitions have been proposed for human dental arch form and methods for coordinating dental arches. The aim of this study was to gather and compare these concepts. The available data were categorized and discussed in five different domains: Arch Form (history and recent concepts), Factors affecting dental arch form, Characterization of arch form, Coordination of upper and lower arches and arch wire selection and arch form.