Abstract

Relationship of Morphological Changes of the First Molar Pulp Chamber and Mineralization of Developing Third Molar with Cervical Vertebral Maturation on Panoramic Radiographs and Lateral Cephalograms

Author(s): Mir Mahdi Seyedashrafi, Salar Payahoo, Atefe Noorizade, Maruf Noruzi

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The study aimed to assess the relationship of morphological changes of the first molar pulp chamber and mineralization of developing the third molar with Cervical Vertebral Maturation (CVM) on panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms.

Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study evaluated 410 panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms of patients between 8-18 years in Urmia city, Iran. The CVM was evaluated using the Hassel and Farman method while third molar mineralization was evaluated using the Demirjian’s Index (DI). The morphology of the mandibular left first molar pulp chamber was evaluated using the Tooth Crown Index (TCI). Spearman’s correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation between the variables. Comparisons were made using the chi-square test and one-way ANOVA.

Results: The chronological age of males and females showed highly significant correlations with DI and CVM index, respectively (0.874, 0.810, 0.882 and 0.800). A high correlation existed between DI and CVM index, which was higher in males (0.901) than females (0.790). No significant correlation was noted between TCI and chronological age or CVM index in males or females (p>0.05).

Conclusion: The third molar mineralization stage determined on panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms can be clinically used to assess skeletal maturity and estimate the chronological age.