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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

The Establishment of a Murine Maxillary Orthodontic Model
Published on: October 27, 2023
Mandibular growth, remodeling, and maturation during infancy and early childhood
Yi-Ping Liu1, Rolf G Behrents, Peter H Buschang
1Department of Orthodontics, Center for Advanced Dental Education, St Louis University, St Louis, MO, USA.
Objective:
To describe the growth, maturation, and remodeling changes of the mandible during infancy and early childhood.
Materials And Methods:
Seven Bolton-Brush Growth Study longitudinal cephalograms (N = 336) of each of 24 females and 24 males, taken between birth and 5 years of age, as well as early adulthood, were traced and digitized. Five measurements and nine landmarks were used to characterize mandibular growth, remodeling, and degree of adult maturity.
Results:
Overall, mandibular length showed the greatest growth changes, followed by ramus height and corpus length. Corpus length was the most mature of the three linear measures; ramus height was less mature than overall mandibular length. The greatest growth rates occurred between 0.4-1 year; yearly velocities decelerated thereafter. The ramus remodeled superiorly only slightly more than it remodeled posteriorly. Male mandibles were significantly (P < or = .05) larger, displayed greater growth rates, and were significantly less mature than female mandibles. There were no significant differences in mandibular growth or maturation between Class I and Class II patients.
Conclusions:
The mandible displays decelerating rates of growth and a maturity gradient during infancy and early childhood, with males showing more growth and being more mature than females.
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