title: Evaluation of dental and bone age in iron-deficient anemic children of South India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dental and bone age is very essential for the dental practitioner in planning treatments and is an extra source of information for the pediatrician, orthopedician, and endocrinologist. There are few published data regarding collation between dental age, bone age, and chronological age in iron-deficiency anemic children. This study has been undertaken to evaluate and compare dental age, bone age, and chronological age in children with iron-deficiency anemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred iron-deficiency anemic children were selected in the age group of 8-14 years. Chronological age of the child was recorded by asking birth date from parents or checking school records. Dental age was calculated by Demirjians method and bone age was evaluated using Bjork, Grave, and Brown's method. Unpaired student'st-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient were the two statistical tests applied to compare dental, bone, and chronological age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dental and bone age was significantly lower (P< 0.001) compared to chronological age. The correlation between the three ages was positive in both sexes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dental and bone age retardation was a significant feature in our sample of 100 iron-deficient anemic children. Bone age and dental age are valuable parameters in assessing the overall growth of the child. Further studies are required to corroborate our findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Navodaya Dental College and Hospital, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Vinod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, PSM College of Dental Sciences and Research, Akkikavu, Trichur, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Harish
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haridas
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, AME's Dental College, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Prahlad
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hunsigi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, MNR Dental College and Hospital, Medak, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Umar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Farooq
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, MNR Dental College and Hospital, Medak, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Sridhar R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Erugula
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, MNR Dental College and Hospital, Medak, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Kranti K R
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ealla
keywords: Bone age; Demirjian; dental age; growth; iron-deficiency anemia