MOLAR POLYMORPHISMS AND TIMING OF DENTITION MINERALIZATION

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  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 41  (3) , 191-197
Abstract
The chronological age, skeletal age and morphological age at the time of mineralization of 14 stages of the permanent teeth of 121 boys and 111 girls of the serial experimental sample of the Burlington Growth Center were contrasted according to whether or not the children had 4- or 5-cusped mandibular permanent 1st molars, and whether or not they had agenesis of 1 or more 3rd molars. In the boys with 4-cusped mandibular 1st molars, the mineralization of the teeth occurred at significantly earlier chronological and skeletal ages when they were significantly shorter in stature. Tooth mineralization was not consistently earlier in the girls with 4-cusped molars, but these girls tended to be taller and heavier than those with 5-cusped molars. In contrast, in both sexes with agenesis of 3rd molars, the mineralization of the teeth was significantly delayed according to chronological, skeletal and morphological evaluation. The change in timing of mineralization was greatest for the 2nd premolars and 2nd molars and least for the 1st molars.