Relationship between mandibular second molar calcification stages and cervical vertebrae maturity in Italian children and young adults

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the stages of calcification of the mandibular second molar and the stages of skeletal maturity among Italian children and young adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional descriptive study. The samples were derived from panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms of 500 Italian subjects aged from 10 to 20 years. Dental maturity index (DM) was assessed by calcification stages of the mandibular second molars according to the Demirjian method; skeletal maturity was evaluated with cervical vertebrae maturation index (CVM) according to Hassel and Farman. The Pearson r coefficient and Spearman rank correlation coefficient were estimated to determine the relationship between DM and CVM. RESULTS: Skeletal maturation stages occurred earlier in females (about 6 months). A highly significant correlation between CVM and DM (0.78-0.86 cor according to Pearson test and 0.81-0.85 rho according to Spearman test) was found. DM stage E corresponds to phase CVM 1 and 2 (the phase prior to the growth spurt), DM stage F corresponds to the phase of pubertal growth spurt, stages CVM 2 and CVM 3; DM stage G is indicator of the growth spurt underway (CVM 3-4), but it can still be found during CVM 5 in females. CONCLUSION: The second mandibular molars can be considered reliable indicators for the evaluation of the growth phases. In case of females the end of the growth spurt it is not clearly associated with a dental maturity stage and needs to be stated with further parameters such as CVM.