RESUMO
Timing is an important factor in orthodontic treatment planning. Skeletal age is a standard indicator for determining optimum time for treatment. On the other hand, in clinic the phases of the dentition [deciduous, early and late mixed, permanent] have often been used for treatment timing, investigations of the different outcomes of treatment protocols at earlier vs later stages of development. Considering the importance of this issue and to evaluate it in the Iranian adolescents, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation between clinical phases of dental eruption and the skeletal maturity stages by cervical vertebrae method [CVM]. Panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms of 100 boys and 100 girls were used. For determination of the Phases of dentition, Vander Linden method and for the skeletal maturity, CVM were used. The relationship between the skeletal maturity [stages in CVM] and the phases of the dentition was evaluated statistically by means of indicators of diagnostic tests and spearman's rho analysis. Spearman's rho analysis indicated a relatively strong correlation of 0.775 [P<0.001]; The early mixed dentition phase was a valid indicator of prepubertal stage [CS1], but the late mixed and early permanent dentitions were not valid indicators for the diagnosis of the onset of the pubertal growth spurt [CS3]. In comparison with a reliable indicator of skeletal maturity [CVM], the dentition phases perform poorly in the detection of the onset of the pubertal spurt in skeletal growth.