Development of deciduous mandibular incisors related to developmental stages in the mandible.

On the basis of morphological and histochemical studies of 71 human mandibles from the former half of prenatal life, five stages (D I to D V) in the development of the deciduous mandibular incisors are described. These stages are related partly to general parameters of fetal development, such as M age (menstrual age), CRL (crown-rump length), CNO (composite number of ossified bones in hand and foot) and partly to stages in the skeletal development of the symphysis menti (SM I to SM V). The investigation revealed close relationship between the development of the deciduous mandibular incisors and the skeletal development of the deciduous mandibular incisors and the skeletal development of the mandible in the region of the incisors. No such relationship was found between the development of the deciduous mandibular incisors and general parameters of fetal development.