Hand skeletal maturity and its correlation with mandibular dental development

OBJECTIVES Assessment of pubertal status and pubertal growth spurt in orthodontic patients has a considerable impact on the diagnosis, treatment plan and the outcome of orthodontic treatments. Hand-wrist radiography is routinely used to evaluate skeletal development. Some studies have shown that there is an association between bone development and different stages of dental calcification; therefore, the stages of dental calcification can be used as the first tool for diagnosis, in case there is an association. This study was performed with the aim to evaluate the association between the phases of dental development and the stages of skeletal maturity. STUDY DESIGN In this study, a total of 52 patients (26 males and 26 females), referring to Mashhad School of Dentistry for orthodontic treatment, were evaluated; the subjects were within the age range of 9-14 years. Hand-wrist radiographic evaluation of skeletal maturation was performed using Fishman method. Also, the Demirjian method was used to identify the stages of dental calcification by panoramic radiographs. Independent t-test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used for data analyses. RESULTS The mean age of males and females was 11.05 ± 1.05 and 10.62 ± 1.12 years, respectively (p=0.156). The Spearman correlation coefficients between skeletal maturity indicators (SMIs) and developmental stages of mandibular left and right canines and second molars were significant in males only (p<0.05). Also, correlation coefficients were significant between adductor sesamoid ossification and mandibular right and left canines developmental stages in males (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Findings of this study showed that the correlation between dental developmental stages and skeletal maturity only were significant in males; thus, different skeletal maturity patterns in males and females might be perceptible. Key words:Skeletal maturation, hand-wrist radiography, panoramic radiography.