Correlation between skeletal maturation and developmental stages of canines and third molars among Saudi subjects

The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of using the developmental stages of the canines and third molars to predict the timing of skeletal maturity in the Saudi population.

The lateral cephalometric radiographs and orthopantograms of 239 Saudi patients, 106 males and 133 females, aged 9 to 21 years, were collected from several dental centers. Orthopantograms were used to assess the developmental stages of the upper and lower canine teeth and third molars using two popular methods: that of Nolla and that of Demirjian. Cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) stage was assessed on the lateral cephalometric images according to the method of Baccetti et al. Trained observers with no knowledge of patient age or gender performed assessments. Data were analyzed with Spearman's rank correlation coefficient at a significance level of P ≤ .05.

Skeletal CVM stages III and IV had a stronger correlation with mandibular left canine developmental stage than with maxillary canine developmental stage in the two methods used (correlation with Nolla stage 10 and Demirjian stage H: root completely formed with apex closed), especially for male patients (r = 0.700, P < .001). In contrast, the maxillary third molars at Nolla stages 5 and 7 (crown completed to 1/3 of the root formed) showed an association with CVM stages III and IV (r = 0.540 for females and r = 0.639 for males, P ≤ .001 for both) and with Demirjian stages D, E, and F. Males had slightly higher correlation values than females (r = 0.578 and 0.5010, respectively; P ≤ .001) at CVM stages III and IV. Interestingly, canine teeth showed a stronger correlation than third molars with skeletal maturation in Saudi children.

Dental developmental stages were highly correlated with CVM stages III and IV among Saudi subjects.