Comparative study of the maturation of permanent teeth in subjects with vertical and horizontal growth patterns

Introduction: The purpose of this research was to compare the maturation stage of permanent teeth in subjects with vertical and horizontal growth patterns. Methods: Lateral cephalograms of 256 subjects were reviewed, and subjects were classified according to facial growth pattern. The 30 subjects with the greatest predominance of vertical growth and the 30 with the greatest predominance of horizontal growth were selected; these subjects comprised the vertical and horizontal groups, respectively. Panoramic radiographs of the subjects obtained at 8 years of age were used to evaluate the maturation of the permanent teeth, expressed by the dental age. Comparisons between groups were made with independent t tests. Results: A statistically significant difference was noted between the dental ages of the vertical and horizontal groups, with the vertical group having a more advanced dental age. Conclusion: Subjects with vertical growth patterns should be expected to mature dentally earlier than horizontal growers.