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Relationships between mandibular canine calcification stages and skeletal maturity
S Coutinho1, P H Buschang, F Miranda
1Orthodontic Department, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas.
Summary
Dental canine development can predict skeletal maturity in children. This study found strong associations between canine calcification stages and skeletal maturity indicators, offering a tool for assessing growth spurts.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Orthodontics
- Pediatric Endocrinology
Background:
- Assessing skeletal maturity is crucial for orthodontic treatment planning and understanding growth patterns.
- Traditional methods for skeletal maturity assessment can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between mandibular canine developmental stages and skeletal maturity indicators during the pubertal growth spurt.
- To evaluate the potential of canine calcification as a predictor of somatic maturity.
Main Methods:
- Radiographic assessment of hand-wrist and dental panoramic radiographs from 200 boys and 215 girls.
- Statistical analysis using Chi-square and Kendall's tau to determine associations between canine development and skeletal maturity indicators.
Main Results:
- Significant correlations (P < 0.001) were found between skeletal maturity indicators, with associations to canine development ranging from 0.53 to 0.85.
- Children reaching canine stage G often exhibited specific skeletal maturity indicators like adductor sesamoid presence (81%) and capping of phalanges (77-87%).
- Canine stage G typically precedes peak height velocity by approximately 0.4 years in girls and 1.3 years in boys.
Conclusions:
- Mandibular canine calcification stages demonstrate a strong correlation with skeletal maturity indicators.
- Canine development can serve as a practical and effective tool for evaluating skeletal and somatic maturation in children.
- This non-invasive method may aid in optimizing orthodontic and growth-related interventions.