Interrelationship among Dental, Skeletal and Chronological Ages in Urban and Rural Female Children

AIM This study was an attempt, to determine chronological age, dental age and skeletal age, and to establish interrelationship, amongst the dental, skeletal and chronological ages and their differences if any between rural and urban female children. The study included 80 girls aged 8 to 14 years from rural and urban areas. MATERIAL AND METHODS The subjects were divided into 4 Groups: Group I, II, III, and IV. Group I and II comprising of rural female subjects, wherein Group I comprised of 8 to 11 years and Group II comprised of 11 to 14 years old females. Group III and IV comprising of urban females wherein Group III included 8 to 11 years and Group IV comprised of 11 to 14 years old females. Orthopantomograms and hand and wrist radiographs were taken. The calcification status of permanent teeth was evaluated from orthopantomograms, and dental age was calculated according to Demirjian's method. The stages of ossification of various carpal bones were evaluated from the hand-wrist radiograph using radiographic atlas of Greulich and Pyle and skeletal age was calculated. The chronological age was recorded from the actual date of birth. RESULTS Data collected was statistically analyzed. CONCLUSION Highly significant correlation was observed between dental and skeletal age (r=0.752, p-value < 0.01) in total sample. Strong correlation of chronological age with dental and skeletal age was also observed (r=0.650, r = 0.620, respectively). Out of all three correlations, dental age and skeletal age had the maximum correlation in total sample. While comparing rural and urban sample as regard to ages or correlations no significant difference was found (p-value < 0.01).