Growth in root length of the mandibular canine and premolars in a mixed-longitudinal orthodontic sample.

Numerous studies of dental development focusing on eruption (clinical emergence) exist in the literature, but fewer studies examine dental development as a process extending across years or decades, and root development is commonly assessed using fractional root lengths. Here, we examine the growth of mandibular canine and premolar roots in a mixed-longitudinal sample of orthodontic patients (77 females and 74 males) from north central Texas. Multilevel models are generated for root lengths as a percentage of total tooth lengths (within films) as well as for absolute root lengths (across films). As a percentage of tooth length, roots grow with decreasing velocity through time between 7 and 14 years of age. More complex patterns appear for absolute growth in root length, with girls showing an earlier maximum growth rate for the canine than for the premolars. Substitution of dental age for chronological age reduces between-subject variation (assessed at age 11), especially for boys. A better understanding of dental maturation, including root length growth, should allow improved prediction models.