Evaluation of the relationship between the Demirjian and Nolla methods and the pubertal growth spurt stage predicted by skeletal maturation indicators in Turkish children aged 10-15: investigation study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of evaluating the relationship between dental maturation and skeletal maturation without taking a hand-wrist radiogram outside of panoramic radiogram.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Panoramic and hand-wrist radiographs of 717 patients (383 girls and 334 boys), with ages ranging from 10 to 15 years, were evaluated. Dental maturity stages of the mandibular canine, first premolar, second premolar and second molar teeth were determined by Demirjian's and Nolla's methods. The skeletal maturation was determined by Fishman method and bone age was determined through the Greulich and Pyle method.

RESULTS: All teeth showed positive and statistically significant correlations, the highest correlation was between the mandibular second premolar calcification stages and hand-wrist maturation stages. According to both dental age determination methods, mandibular second premolar was prominent in determining to the pubertal growth stages.

CONCLUSIONS: There was a positive relationship between dental calcification stages and skeletal maturation stages, in the study population. Dental calcification stages of the second mandibular premolar showed the highest positive correlation with the skeletal maturation stages.