الفهرس 
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Abstract
This research was designed to provide an insight into the state of occlusal patterns, tooth size and arch dimensions of the deciduous dentition in a group of preschool Egyptian children.
A total of 259 Egyptian children aged from 3-4 years were examined. A sample of 120 children (53 boys and 67 girls) was selected from the examined children to meet the following criteria; to have a full complement of deciduous dentition, no missing teeth, no interproximal carious lesions and to be free from any dental malformations. Children with systemic health disease or children with tendency to bruxism and abnormal habits were excluded.
For each subject an alginate impression was taken for both dental arches and poured in dental stone, to produce dental casts on which the following measurements were recorded for each arch; tooth size, arch dimensions, occlusal relationships and the presence or absence of spacing and crowding. A digital caliper was used to record the measurements.
The recorded data was tabulated and statistically analyzed with SPSS 13.0® (Statistical Package for Scientific Studies) for Windows.
The results showed that in general boys had larger arch dimensions than girls. Both boys and girls had similar mean width for all deciduous teeth except maxillary right lateral incisor that showed a statistically significant higher mean width in girls. Also the maxillary left second deciduous molar was significantly larger in boys. In the mandibular arch no statistically significant difference was reported except for the right canine that was larger in girls. Bilateral flush terminal plane was found in 85.83% of children followed by bilateral mesial step in 0.83% and no children exhibited a distal step relationship. Asymmetric molar relationship was found in 13.33% of the examined children. Class I canine relationship was found in 83.33% of children followed by Class III canine relationship in 0.83% and no Class II relationship was observed. 55.66% of children had ideal overjet, 35.83% had reduced overjet and 12.5% had increased overjet. Increased overbite in 10.83% of children and 5% had reduced overbite, 76.66% had ideal overbite and openbite was seen in 7.5%. Generalized spacing was found to predominate in the examined children. Primate spaces were found in 77.5% of children in both arches and in 5.8% of the examined children in the maxillary arch only. 16.67% of the examined children did not have primate spaces in any of the arches.