Aim: There is considerable variety in shape and size of dental arches, among the different groups. Among the forms most often have been investigated are: the ellipse, the parabola and the catenary curve. It suggested three ways to classify the arcs of teeth of patients: a) narrow arches or triangular, b) square c) ovoid. Purpose of this study is to determine the shape of the dental arches, to describe the difference between the population female and male. The provision of occlusal harmony in a population of patients mexican.
Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study which included 75 orthodontic study models of 39 female patients and 36 male patients. The variables were the measures of the study models and molars according to Angle class.
Results: In the arches above 64% of patients had a square shape while 13.3% had a triangular shape, the ovoid shape of 22.7%. For the lower arch the average 46.7% were oval, square and triangular% 42% 12.
Discussion: In this form the dominant ethnic group of the arch was square, followed by an ovoid shape and finally the triangular shape of an arc, unlike Rivera et al in 2008 where the highest percentage was the ovoid where no habit and anterior and posterior crossbite unlike ours which are generally wider arches and square-shaped with the presence of habits.
Conclusions: The shape of this arc predominant ethnic group was the square. Occlusal harmony of the study population is the result of an arc and physiological changes cross.