The aim of this study was to determine whether the relationship between dental age (DA), cervical stage (CS) and chronological age (CA) in Chinese male children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) is similar to that of children without clefts. Panoramic and cephalometric radiographs of 105 male UCLP patients, aged from 8 to 16 years, were collected and compared to 210 age-matched healthy control males. The Demirjian and cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) methods were used to visually examine the radiographs and Spearman\'s correlation analysis was used to identify differences between the two groups with regards to CS, DA and CA. There was a significant positive correlation between DA and CA in both groups and the mean CA-DA difference was significantly higher in children with UCLP when compared to controls (0.319 vs. 0.003, p < 0.05). A significant delay in tooth development was detected in UCLP children from 10 to 12 years-of-age. Both the UCLP and control groups showed high correlations between CS and DA. Calcification stage D appeared only before CS3; however, from CS5 to 6, all teeth have almost completed their maturation phase. Chinese male UCLP patients are likely to experience delayed tooth development compared to healthy controls, especially during the fast-growing period. Evaluating the stages of tooth mineralization could represent a rapid method to assess growth potential.

BACKGROUND: The correlation between dental maturity and skeletal maturity has been proposed, but its clinical application remains challenging. Moreover, the varying correlations observed in different studies indicate the necessity for research tailored to specific populations.
OBJECTIVE: To compare skeletal maturity in Korean children with advanced and delayed dental maturity using dental maturity percentile.
METHODS: Dental panoramic radiographs and cephalometric radiographs were obtained from 5133 and 395 healthy Korean children aged between 4 and 16 years old. Dental maturity was assessed with Demirjian\'s method, while skeletal maturity was assessed with the cervical vertebral maturation method. Standard percentile curves were developed through quantile regression. Advanced (93 boys and 110 girls) and delayed (92 boys and 100 girls) dental maturity groups were defined by the 50th percentile.
RESULTS: The advanced group showed earlier skeletal maturity in multiple cervical stages (CS) in both boys (CS 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6) and girls (CS 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6). Significant differences, as determined by Mann-Whitney U tests, were observed in CS 1 for boys (p = 0.004) and in CS 4 for girls (p = 0.037). High Spearman correlation coefficients between dental maturity and cervical vertebral maturity exceeded 0.826 (p = 0.000) in all groups.
CONCLUSIONS: A correlation between dental and skeletal maturity, as well as advanced skeletal maturity in the advanced dental maturity group, was observed. Using percentile curves to determine dental maturity may aid in assessing skeletal maturity, with potential applications in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning.

BACKGROUND: The ability to estimate the growth potential correctly is an important factor in taking effective actions with respect to orthodontic diagnosis, suitable treatment protocol and optimal timing of commencing the therapy.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare skeletal maturity between the groups depending on the malocclusion as well as to define the optimal timing for particular orthodontic treatment procedures in children with miscellaneous types of malocclusion and compare it with the duration of treatment proposed by the National Health Fund (NFZ).
METHODS: The delivery of the objectives of this study has been divided into 4 stages: the selection of the lateral head films (n = 180) of patients with malocclusion without congenital defect - diagnosing an orthodontic defect using Angle\'s classification, noting the chronological age (7-16 years) at the moment of taking the radiograph; the evaluation of the patients\' skeletal maturation stages determined by the cervical vertebrae; comparison of the skeletal maturity between the groups considering the calendar age and the type of malocclusion and analysis of 45 cephalometric RTG projections of patients with different malocclusions.
RESULTS: The average age for children with malocclusion was significantly higher for class III as compared to class II or I in pubertal peak group (CS3 and CS4), and for class III as compared to class I or II after the puberty peak (CS5 and CS6). Our findings of the average age according to Angle\'s classification revealed significant differences between class II and class III at CS2, CS3, CS4, CS5, between class I and class III at CS3 and CS5, between class I and class II at CS4, between class III and I at CS5, and between all classes at CS6 maturity stage.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on our research, it is concluded that the time of the refund of orthodontic treatment in Poland should be extended to 13.6 years of age for class II malocclusion and to 14.7 years of age for class III defects.