Primary canine relationship: Class I: the tip of the maxillary canine is in the same vertical plane as the distal surface of the mandibular canine. Class U0126 mw II: the tip of the maxillary primary canine tooth is mesial to the distal surface of the mandibular primary canine. Class III: the tip of the maxillary canine is distal to the distal surface of the mandibular primary canine. Decisions regarding molar and canine relationship were made on the basis of bilateral occlusion. In case of distal step or mesial step relationship on one side and flush terminal plane on the other, the decision was made in favor of flush terminal plane. The canine relationship was recorded in favor of class I, if it was class I on one side and class II or class III on the other.

In the event that the child had class II canine relation on one side and class III on the other side, the case was excluded from canine relationship. The degree of overbite was graded according to coverage of mandibular incisor by the most protruded fully erupted maxillary incisor. Normal coverage of up to half the mandibular incisor by the maxillary incisors. Increased coverage of more than half the mandibular incisors by maxillary incisors. Edge-to-edge relation. Anterior open bite-negative overlap in the vertical plane. The degree of overjet was measured from the palatal surface of the mesial corner of the most protruded fully erupted maxillary incisor to the labial surface of the corresponding mandibular incisor and was recorded in millimeters. Anterior cross-bite was recorded when one or more maxillary incisors and canines occluded lingual to the mandibular incisors.

Posterior cross-bite was recorded when one or more maxillary primary canines or molars occluded lingual to the buccal cusps of the opposing mandibular teeth. Scissor-bite was recorded when one or more maxillary primary molars occluded buccal to the buccal surface of the corresponding mandibular molars. The presence or absence of physiologic spaces between primary teeth was noted, as was the presence or absence of primate spaces (spaces mesial to maxillary canine and distal to mandibular primary canine).11 The presence of crowding was considered as either single-segment (in one arch only) or two-segment (in both arches).12 To ensure intra-examiner reliability, the same examiner examined 30 children on two occasions at least one week apart.

11 The results obtained were almost the same for all parameters (Kappa Value =.89�C.94). The results were tabulated and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version-15 for Windows. Comparisons between groups were carried out using the Pearson��s Drug_discovery Chi-square test. For all tests, a p-value of .05 or less was considered to be of statistical significance. RESULTS The present study assessed the occlusal characteristics of the primary dentition of 200 children aged 3 to 5 years. The results are presented in Table 1. Table 1.