Arch length considerations due to the curve of Spee:

A mathematical model
Nicholas Germane, DMD, MS," Julie Ann Staggers, DDS, MS, b Loretta Rubenstein, DDS, = and
James T. Revere, DDS'
Augusta, Ga., and Richmond, Va.

Arch length analysis should consider discrepancies not only within the sagittal plane but also within
the vertical and transverse planes. The vertical deviation of the occlusal plane from a flat plane is
known as the curve of Spee. The purpose of this study was to produce a mathematical model of the
mandibular arch form in three planes of space and to determine the effect that the c u r v e of Spee
has on arch circumference. Two mandibular arch forms, the catenary and the BonwilI-Hawley, were
examined. The curve of Spee was modeled as a cylinder perpendicular to the midsagittal plane
centered on the arch anteroposteriorly. A mathematical distance formula was used to calculate arch
circumferences from the central fossa of the first molars for 10 arches with curves of Spee ranging
from 0 to 10 ram. This procedure was repeated for arch circumferences extending from the central
fossa of the second molars. Plots for the difference in arch circumferences verses depth of the curve
of Spee showed that the relationship between these two variables is not linear and is less than one
to one. This model showed that clinical practice of allowing 1 mm of arch circumference for leveling
each millimeter of curve of Spee overestimates the amount of arch circumference needed to flatten
the curve of Spee. (AMJ OnrHOO DENTOFACORTHOP 1992;102:251-5.)

Arch length analysis requires that discrep-
ancies be measured not only within tile sagittal plane,
but also relative to the vertical and transvers.le planes.
The sagittal discrepancy is the amount of dental crowd-
ing. Transverse discrepancies take the form of posterior
crossbites. Vertical discrepancies are the.deviation of
the line of occlusion from the horizontal plane and is
popularly known as the curve of Spee.
This curve was first described by Graf Spee' who
used skulls with abraded teeth to define a line of oc-
clusion that lies on a cylinder that is tangent to the
anterior border of the condyle, the occlusal surface of
the second molar, and the incisal edges of the mandib-
ular incisors. Spee located the center of this cylinder
in the midorbital plane so that it had a radius of 6.5 to
7.0 cm. Clinically, however, the curve of Spee is de-
termined by the distal marginal ridges of the most pos-
terior teeth in the arch and the incisal edges of ihe
central incisors.
The deviation of the occlusal plane from a flat plane
has practical consequences when considering the arch
circumference requirements necessary to ilatten the
curve. Indisputably, a curved arch has a greater cir-
'Associate Professor and Chairman, Medical College of Georgia, School of
Dentistry.
"Assistant Professor, Medical College of Georgia, School of Dentistry.
'Associate Professor, Medical College of Virginia, School of Dentistry.
~Executive Associate Dean, Virginia Commonv, ealth University, School of
Dentistry.
8/1/30449
cumference than a flat arch. However, the amount of
additional arch circumference required to flatten the
curve is not as apparent. A popular theory is that 1 mm
of arch circumference is needed to level each millimeter
of the curve o f Spee. 2z Yet, Baldridge '~ and Garcia 5
found that less 1 mm of arch circumference is required
to level each millimeter of the curve of Spee. According
to Woods, s the amount needed is variable depending
on the type of mechanics used.
Although leveling to the curve of Spee is an every-
day occurrence in orthodontic practices, little research
has been dedicated to the examination of the relation-
ship between arch length and the depth of the curve of
Spee. With this in mind, the purpose of this study was
to produce a mathematical model of two mandibular
arch forms in three planes of space and to determine
the amount of arch circumference consumed by leveling
the curve of Spee.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Two mandibular arch fomls, the catenary curve (Fig. I)
and the BonwilI-Hawley arch form (Fig. 2), were selected
for the mathematical model. The catenary curve is a smooth
curve that can be best described by the curve of a hanging
chain. The mathematical formula of the catenary curve for
the mandibular arch is:
Y = 5(e '"~ + e -~'~ - l0
The Bonwill-tlawley arch form is described by three line
segments: two straight line buccal segments and a curved
251
952 Germane et al.
Bonwill-Hawley Arch Form
Fig. 2. Bonwill-Hawley arch form.
anterior segment. In this study this arch form was based on
the mesial-distal widths of the mandibular anterior teeth and
was constructed similar to the principles of Tweed. 7 However,
the buccal segments were modified to represent lines drawn
through the proximal contact points of the teeth. Three math-
ematical formulas are necessary to describe the mandibular
Bonwill~ arch form.
The formula for the left buccal segment is:
Y = - 2 . 6 1 3 9 ( X + 10.98) + 3.45
where the values of X range from:
- 1/2 mandibular intermolar width < X < - 10.98
The formula for the anterior segment is"
Y = - ' k / R z + Xz + R
Am. J. Orthod. Dentofac. Orthop.
September 1992
cent, R-h)
/
i
[ ycent = 1/2y
Fig. 3. Curve of Spee modeled as a cylinder with a radius
of R.
where the values X range from:
- 10.98 -< X --- 10.98 and R = I~ + I2 + 0.67C + 3 m m
I, = average mandibular central incisor width
I2 = average mandibular lateral incisor width
C = average mandibular canine width
The formula for the right buccal segment is:
Y = 2.6139(X - 10.98) + 3.45
where the value of X range from:
10.98 < X < 89 mandibular intermolar width
For this study, an intermolar width of 41.46 m m was
selected for the first molars and 47.17 m m for the second
molars on the basis of averages obtained by Moyer. s The
radius of the anterior curve was determined by using the
average mesial-distal widths of mandibular central incisors
(I~ = 5.46 mm), mandibular lateral incisors (Is = 6.05 mm),
and mandibular canines (C = 7.53 ram). 9
The mathematical model used in this study described the
curve of Spee as a cylinder perpendicular to the midsagittal
plane and centered on the arch anteroposteriorly. The hori-
zontal plane was defined as a plane of occlusion with no curve
of Spee present. The midpoint of the arch anteroposteriorly
along the horizontal plane was designated as Y center. The
cylinder had radius, R, which was centered above the hori-
zontal plane, R - h, where h was the maximum depth o f the
curve of Spee measured from a flat horizontal plane (Fig. 3).
The maximum depth of curve of Spee, h, was consistently
measured at Y center. The curve of Spee was described math-
ematically by"
Z = - ~ k / R z - (Y - Y center) 2 + (R - h)
Volume 102 Leveling the curve of Spee 253
Number 3

Table I. The differences in arch circumferences for curves of Spee of 0 to I0 mm for the catenary curve.
Arch circumferences were measured from the central fossae of the first molars (6s) and second molars (7s).

Difference ill arch circumference as compared with a flat

Arch circumference (mm) occlusal plane (mm)
Depth of curve I I
of Spee (mm) 6s 7s 6s 7s

0 78.39 104.97 0 0
1 78.44 105.07 0.05 0.10
2 78.57 105.37 0.18 0.41
3 78.80 105.88 0.40 0.92
4 79.11 106.59 0.71 1.63
5 79.51 107.50 1.12 2.53
6 79.99 108.60 1.59 3.63
7 80.55 109.89 2.16 4.93
8 81.19 111.37 2.80 6.41
9 81.90 113.04 3.51 8.06
10 82.69 114.88 4.29 9.91

Y centera + h 2
where R =
2h
Each arch circumference was calculated in 0.05 mm in-
crements by using the following distance formula, and the
increments were then summed to give the total arch circum-
ference, C.
C = C~ + X/(X, - X~.,)2 + (Y~ - y,_,)2 + (Z~ - Z~.,y
Since 0.05 increments were used, the difference between X~
and Xi.! was 0.05 rlnn, and Y, Zi and Yi-, Z=_~were calculated
from Xi and X~_t,respectively, with the previously mentioned
equations. The difference in circumferences for arches with
curves of Spee ranging from 0 to 10 mm were calculated for
curves extending from the central fossa of the first molars.
The calculation were repeated for arches with curves of Spee
ranging from 0 to 10 mm for curves extending to the central
fossa of the second molar.
Calculations were done for both the catenary and Bonwill-
Hawley arch forms. All mathematical calculations were per-
formed with a personal computer and Turbo Pascal 5.0 (Bor-
land International, Scotts Valley, Calif.).
RESULTS
The calculated arch circumferences for the catenary
arch form with curves of Spee from 0 to I0 m m and
differences in arch circumference from the flat plane
curve (h = 0 mm) are given in Table I. The difference
in arch circumferences were plotted against the depth
of the curve of Spee (h) and are shown in Fig. 4.
Similarly, the calculated arch circumferences for the
Bonwill-Hawley arch form with curves of Spee from
0 to 10 mm and differences in arch circumference from
the flat plane curve (h = 0 mm) are given in Table II.
The differences in arch circumference wre plotted
against the depth of the curve of Spee (h) and are shown
in Fig. 5.
DISCUSSION
The calculated arch circumferences for the catenary
and Bonwill-Hawley arch forms and how each respec-
tive curve compared with a fiat occlusal plane were
remarkably different. A catenary curve is generally nar-
rower in the canine and second molar regions than is
the Bonwill-Hawley arch form. Consequently, for a
given curve of Spee the arch circumferences measured
from either the first or second molars are longer for the
catenary curve than for the Bonwill-Hawley arch form.
This implies that the type o f arch form used during
orthodontic treatment will have a clinical impact on the
amount of arch circumference.
By using data obtained from direct measurements
on dental casts, Baldridge 4 and Garcia 5 found a linear
relationsip between arch circumference and the leveling
of the curve of Spee. In each of these studies a linear
regression was preformed on the data. However, this
type of statistical manipulation of the data forces the
relationship to be linear, but the true underlying rela-
tionship between the two variables may not be a linear
one. In both studies, the independent variable was the
total depth of the curve of Spee, which was defined as
the sum of the maximum curve of Spee depth measured
on the right and the left sides o f the arch. The slope of
the linear regression line in the study by Baldridge was
0.488 and the slope in the study by Garcia was 0.657.
Both studies predicted a less than one to one relationship
between the total depth of the curve of Spee and the
amount of arch circumference needed to level curve.
Clinically, this means that less than 1 mm o f arch cir-
cumference is used to level each millimeter of the curve
of Spee.
In this study the amount of arch circumference con-
sumed as a result of flattening curves of Spee of varying
254 G e r m a n e et al. Am. J. Orthod. Dentofac. Orthop.
September 1992

Cantenary Curve
12

10 First Molar (6's) = = j~

jf /
E
E Second Molar (7's) ..... ..-" ,,.x
f /
Reference ........... J" /=

..J

"~ J zz
"~--"
(~ i i .1"/ ~ J if ~ I/
0

o
.m__
4
j/" /
/
fl .,-S'~an/I///~ r"
./
//

2 11 i" ~
fi "f .~i~ ~ ' ~
f~ ~

0 ~, , i [ i - - i .... ~ ...... ) i i ----

O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Curve of Spee (mm)
Fig. 4. Millimeters of arch length gained versus millimeters of curve of Spee leveled for catenary curve.

BonwilI-Hawley Arch Form

12 I

2'
I
i I

10 First Molar C6's) c __- z ~

E Second Molar (7's) "----~= . ~
E
8 Reference * ....... '~ .1-1 z~///"
/
i:::

_..I

6
.E
f I
o
4
(3)
..=_
O

/~ i ~ .,I~

0 ,~ I i i i i } i i i

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Curve of Spee (mm)

Fig. 5. Millimeters of arch length gained versus millimeters of curve of Spee leveled for BonwilI-Hawley
arch form.
Volume 102 Leveling the cttrve of Spee 255
Number 3

Table II. The differences in arch circumference for curvcs of Spee of 0 to 100 m m for the Bonwill-Hawley
arch form. Arch circumferences were measured from the central fossae of the first molars (6s) and second
molars (7s).

Difference in arch circu~t~erence as compared with a flat

Arch circumference (ram) occlusal plane (ram)
Depth of curve
of Spee (mm) 6s ] 7s 6s I 7s
0 78.06 94.01 0 0
I 78.12 94.12 0.06 0.11
2 78.31 94.48 0.25 0.47
3 78.62 95.06 0.56 1.06
4 79.05 95.88 0.99 1.87
5 79.58 96.92 1.52 2.91
6 80.22 98.18 2.16 4.17
7 80.94 99.64 2.88 5.63
8 81.75 101.30 3.69 7.29
9 82.62 103.16 4.55 9.20
10 83.54 105.12 5.48 1I. 19

depths was a nonlinear relationship. The relationship REFERENCES

was different depending on the arch form and from
where the arch circumference was measured. For the
catenary arch form, the amount of arch circumference
required for leveling was consistently less than one to
one for curves of spee of 10 m m or less (Table I and
Fig. 4). The amount of circumference necessary to level
the Bonwili-Hawley arch form was less than one to one
for all the curves of 10 mm or less when the arch
circumference was measured from the first molars. The
amount lost was also less than one to one when the
curve of Spee was less than 9 mm and the circumference
was measured to the second molar. Yet the arch cir-
cumference lost was greater than one to one when the
curve of Spee was 9 or 10 mm and the arch circum-
ference was measured from the second molars. There-
fore, in the Bonwill-Hawley form, the amount of arch
circumference consumed by leveling the curve of Spee
varies depending on the depth of the curve and from
where the arch circumference is measured.
The results of this study showed that the amount of
arch length required to level the curve of Spee is non-
linear and is consistently less than one to one for curves
of Spee less than 9 mm. The results also suggest that
the belief that 1 mm of arch circumference is necessary
to level each millimeter of curve of Spee present is an
overestimation. Where the arch circumference is mea-
sured from, the arch form, and the depth of the curve
of Spee all play a part in the amount of the space
required for leveling the curve of Spee.
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Reprint requests to:
Dr. Nicholas Germane
Department of Orthodontics
Medical College of Georgia
School of Dentistry
Augusta, GA 30912