[Relationships between mandibular canine calcification stages and skeletal maturity].
OBJECTIVE
To study the relationship between mandibular canine calcification and skeletal maturity.


METHODS
Hand wrist and mandibular canine radiographs of 106 boys and 152 girls in Beijing area were assessed.


RESULTS
Mandibular canine calcification coincides with the initiation of puberty in male (93.8%) and with the deceleration of puberty in female(89.7%). However the coincidence with the indicators of other pubertal stages was less than 50%.


CONCLUSIONS
Mandibular canine calcification just can give an initial assessment for estimating the timing of puberty.
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School of Stomatology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050.
D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D003481:Cuspid / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014074:Tooth Calcification / Q000502:physiology*