Dental developmental age versus chronological age as predictors of children's functioning in five developmental skill areas

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between dental developmental age and chronologic age as they relate to other aspects of the child's development. The dental developmental age was determined on 74 children, 40 males and 34 females, ranging in age from two to 11 years. The sample population was chosen at random from patients at the Indiana University School of Dentistry. The socio-economic status was determined according to the North-Hatt Occupational Scale; 14.3 per cent of the children fell in the upper class, 84.3 per cent in the middle class, and 1.4 per cent in the lower class. Analysis by race showed that 71.6 per cent of the sample were Caucasian, 23.0 per cent were Negroid, and 5.4 per cent were Oriental. Panoramic radiography, with the S.S. White Panorex, was used to evaluate dental developmental age. Two independent observers scored the radiographs and double blind procedures were used. To determine dental developmental age, Wolanski's method of tooth formation evaluation was used. To determine functioning of children in five developmental skills areas, the Alpern-Boll Developmental Skills Inventory was used. Dental developmental age and chronologic age had a significant positive relationship to children's functioning in five developmental skills areas. There is a chronologic period when determination of dental age appears to be difficult. The data available and methodology for determining dental developmental age of the four-year-old female and the five-year-old male seems to be inadequate. Dental developmental age seems to be a better predictor of general developmental skills for males than it does for females, specifically in the two to eight-year-old group. The highest correlations were found in the youngest age group, i.e. the two to five-year-olds. The correlations between dental developmental age and chronologic age, and between those two indices and the five developmental skills ages remains highly significant in the younger ages but decreases consistently as the child becomes older. The specific age as well as the sex of the child has a definite effect on the correlations obtained. The use of dental developmental age is good but not superior to the use of chronologic age for predicting functioning for normal children. This may not be the case for atypical children. More study is indicated.