Dental and skeletal ages in hypopituitary patients

Skeletal and dental ages were radiographically determined in 14 cases of confirmed growth hormone deficiency. The cases were in the 6.5- to 12-year-age group, and were receiving hormone therapy. Delay in skeletal age ranged from 24.8 to 32.3%, the average being 27.9%. There was very much less delay in dental age, ranging from only 4.3 to 19.7%; the average delay being approximately 9%. Most cases thus fell within normal limits. Seven patients had dental ages assessed before therapy and their dental age delays were comparable to those of the group as a whole. The four patients in the 12-year-old group showed a greater dental age delay then did the others. This could have been simply due to individual variation, or this delay could possibly support the view that dental development does become androgen dependent at puberty. None of the radiographs examined revealed any defects in dental development as has been reported elsewhere. While the small normal patient followed the general trend, the three low birth weight patients did not and it would not be instructive to measure the dental ages of larger numbers of these cases.