Longitudinal changes in dental arches from mixed to permanent dentition in a Turkish population.

Introduction: Orthodontists can benefit from understanding occlusal changes during every stage of human development. The growth and development period is influenced by environmental factors, nutrition, and ethnic variations; systemic health and individual variations can also occur. Our aim in this study was to investigate the longitudinal changes in dental arch dimensions during the transition from mixed dentition (T1) to permanent dentition (T2) in children living in Turkey.

Methods: Sixty-five patients (36 girls, 29 boys) with complete records from the mixed dentition to the early permanent dentition stages were included in this study (total, 130 dental casts). All casts (T1 and T2) had been prepared in centric relation by wax bites, and 14 parameters were measured on these casts.

Results: The initial parameters in this Turkish population showed sexual dimorphism; however, during the observation period (T2-T1), there was no sexual dimorphism in arch dimension changes. There were significant changes in arch width parameters (especially in girls), overjet, and overbite in Turkish children between the midmixed and the permanent dentitions.

Conclusions: These results should be useful in planning orthodontic treatment for patients in the mixed and early permanent dentition.