Dental maturation in patients with unilateral posterior crossbite.

AIM

To investigate whether there is a difference in dental maturation between patients with a skeletal unilateral crossbite and a control sample (individuals with an Angle Class I and no crossbite) and to compare the dental maturation on the right and left posterior segments in both samples.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The sample consisted of 101 Turkish individuals (53 boys and 48 girls, 8 to 13 years of age, mean age 10.90 ± 1.62 years). These subjects were divided into two groups: unilateral posterior crossbite (23 boys and 28 girls, mean age 10.87 ± 2.01 years) and control (25 boys and 25 girls, mean age 10.93 ± 1.14 years). Each subject's dental age (according to Demirjian's dental maturity score) was determined with an orthopantomogram. A difference of 6 months at a significance level of P<.05 was considered clinically significant, so the power of the statistical test was 85%.

RESULTS

No sexual dimorphism was detected for the chronological or dental age in either group. In both groups, the dental ages determined from Demirjian and Goldstein's tables were more advanced than the chronological ages. Dental age did not differ significantly between sides. Subjects with a posterior crossbite had a tendency for a delayed dental maturation compared to the control individuals. A difference of about 1 month was observed between the right and left sides in the crossbite and control groups.

CONCLUSION

The difference in dental age between the crossbite and control groups was big enough to be clinically relevant. No significant side differences in either group were detected.