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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Measuring Maxillary Posterior Tooth Movement: A Model Assessment using Palatal and Dental Superimposition
Published on: February 23, 2024
Genetic modeling of primary tooth emergence: a study of Australian twins
Michelle R Bockmann1, Toby E Hughes, Grant C Townsend
1Craniofacial Biology Research Group, School of Dentistry, The University of Adelaide, Australia. michelle.bockmann@adelaide.edu.au
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to quantify contributions of genetic and environmental factors to variation in timing of emergence of the primary teeth in a sample of monozygotic and dizygotic twins, using univariate model-fitting approaches. The sample comprised 94 pairs of monozygotic twins and 125 pairs of dizygous twins, all of European ancestry, aged from 2-6 years. Tooth emergence timing was based on parental report, with a subset of data validated by clinical assessment. Heritability estimates for tooth emergence timing were generally high, around 90%, however estimates for the lower right lateral incisor and the lower canines were around 50%. These findings confirm a strong genetic influence on observed variation in the timing of emergence of the human primary teeth.
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