Stages in the emergence of the dentition: an improved classification and its application to Israeli children

An improved classification of dental development according to the eruption sequence of morphological dental classes is presented. The definitions ensure that the stages are mutually exclusive and permit a clear estimate of all developmental sequences. The age distribution for each dental stage, investigated for a sample of 2116 Israeli children, was found to be normal with a small but systematic skewness; this could reflect the greater variability in age at which children leave a dental stage than at which they enter it. All dental stages initiate and terminate earlier in girls. The sequence of emergence of permanent teeth is virtually identical in both sexes except for the canines. Maxillary and mandibular incisors and canines erupt somewhat later than those in other populations.