CONTINUED ERUPTION OF MAXILLARY INCISORS AND FIRST MOLARS IN GIRLS FROM 9 TO 25 YEARS, STUDIED BY THE IMPLANT METHOD

The aim of this study was to describe the average and individual patte rns of continued eruption of the maxillary incisors and first molars i n a longitudinal sample of girls. The sample comprised 14 series of la teral cephalometric films of girls, obtained from the archives of the implant study of Bjork (1968). All subjects had bilateral posterior ma xillary implants and one or two anterior maxillary implants, Subjects with craniofacial anomalies were excluded. The sample represented vari ous types of malocclusions, but records during periods of orthodontic treatment were excluded from the calculation of average data and avera ge curves, The final sample comprised 147 radiographs in the age range 9-25 years. Data were debugged by comprehensive numerical and graphic al procedures. The average cumulative continued eruption from 9-25 yea rs of age was 6 mm downwards and 2.5 mm forwards for the upper incisor s, and 8 mm downwards and 3 mm forwards for the upper first molars. Th is resulted in an average reduction of the occlusal plane inclination (OLs/IPLs) of 4.5 degrees from 9-16 years. Attention is drawn to the f act that due to the continued eruption of the natural teeth, the use o f osseointegrated implants with artificial teeth should not be recomme nded in childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, unless special pr ovision is made for later revision or replacement of the artificial te eth to compensate for the lack of continued eruption of such implants.