Dental maturation in short and long facial types. Is there a difference?

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this investigation was to study the relationship between vertical skeletal growth pattern and dental maturation in children with long or short anterior facial height. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample consisted of the records of 312 Dutch children (153 boys and 159 girls, aged 9-12.9 years, with a mean chronological age of 11.3 years). The subjects were selected according to their lower anterior facial height as a percentage of the total facial height. Two groups, one with long and the other with short anterior facial height, were formed for further comparison. Dental age, according to Demirjian's dental maturity score, was determined for each subject. The power of the study was 79% (2-sided test) and 87% (1-sided test). RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference in dental age score between the two extreme groups. The subjects with short anterior facial height demonstrated a slight tendency toward more advanced dental age. CONCLUSIONS The difference in dental age between long and short facial types is not big enough to be clinically relevant.