Dental age in maxillary canine ectopia

An etiologic connection between palatally ectopic canines and small and mis sing teeth is well established in the literature. Additionally, it has been observed that patients with palatally ectopic canines have a delayed denta l development. The present study was designed to examine the validity of th is latter observation. We radiographically assessed the subjects' dental ag es using criteria of tooth calcification, rather than tooth eruption patter n. A similar determination was made in relation to subjects in whom buccall y ectopic canines were present. The experimental group consisted of panoram ic radiographs of 55 consecutively treated patients with palatally displace d maxillary canines and of 47 consecutively treated patients with buccally displaced canines. They were compared with a control group of 57 consecutiv ely treated patients with normally placed canines. Approximately half the s ubjects with palatal displacement exhibited a late-developing dentition, wh ereas the timing of dentition in the remaining subjects appeared to be norm al. Buccal displacement was not associated with a retarded dental developme nt, and the ranges of the dental age values were similar to those seen in t he control group. The results support the idea that there are different eti ologies for the occurrence of buccal versus palatal ectopia in maxillary ca nines. They also suggest that dentitions with a palatal canine appear to be of 2 distinct varieties, with different dental characteristics and, perhap s, different etiologies.