EARLIER DENTAL MATURATION - FACT OR FICTION

The objective of this investigation was to determine if there is a dif ference in dental age of maturation between adolescents treated in the 1970s and those treated in the 1990s. Records of 150 Caucasian patien ts, 8.5 to 14.5 years old and treated in a private orthodontic office between 1972 and 1974, were randomly selected; records of another 150 patients of the same race and age range but treated between 1992 and 1 994 were also collected. The percentage of calcification of the mandib ular canines was rated according to methods used by Demirjian, who div ided tooth development into eight segments, A to H. Using stage G to c ompare the 1970 and 1990 patient samples, we demonstrated dental age r eductions of 1.21 years for males and 1.52 years for females, and a co mbined reduction of 1.40 years.