Percentiles relative to maxillary permanent canine inclination by age: a radiologic study. American journal of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics : official publication of the American Association of Orthodontists, its constituent societies, and the American Board of Orthodontics [Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop] Journal article

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have investigated developmental norms for maxillary permanent canine eruption. In this observational cross-sectional study, we aimed to provide an age-related description of the percentiles relative to canine inclination in a large sample of nonorthodontic patients. Associations between inclination and sector were also analyzed.
METHODS: Canine inclination and sector location were measured on 1020 panoramic radiographs obtained from subjects of white ancestry aged between 8 and 11 years not seeking orthodontic treatment. The total sample comprised 2037 canines.
RESULTS: Canine inclination increases between 8 and 9 years and decreases between 9 and 11 years. The greatest value for each percentile is at 9 years. A linear model should be hypothesized for differences in canine inclination between 2 successive ages in correspondence to each percentile. The proportion of sector 2 canines decreases and that of sector 1 increases with age. In the same age group, the inclination generally decreases as the sector decreases.
CONCLUSIONS: Percentiles by age show the average canine inclination in a certain population. Further studies are required to verify whether percentiles can be a diagnostic aid for determining normal canine inclination at a given age and for quantifying the risk of canine impaction or adjacent root resorption.

American journal of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics : official publication of the American Association of Orthodontists, its constituent societies, and the American Board of Orthodontics [Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop]