Mixed dentition analysis: a review of methods and their accuracy.

Methods that have been proposed for mixed dentition analysis are reviewed. Prediction of the space required in the dental arch for unerupted permanent canines and premolars has been based either on the correlation between the mesio-distal widths of these teeth and of erupted mandibular incisors, or on measurements of the unerupted teeth on radiographs. Studies comparing the different methods have shown that the method of Hixon & Oldfather (1958), as refined by Staley & Kerber (1980), is the most accurate.