RESUMEN
Dental maturity is one of the indicators of the craniofacial region growth and development. The aim of the study was to identify and compare dental growth and development in two ethnic groups. The material consisted of 480 orthopantomograms; 240 selected from orthodontic and dental patients from Zagreb (Croatia) and Damascus (Syria) each. Each ethnic group included 120 boys and 120 girls, while the radiographs were classified into 6 groups of 20 each, according to sex and chronologic age (8-13 years). Dental maturity was evaluated by the method of Nolla. The results were statistically analyzed and presented in tables. The subjects from Damascus showed a delay in dental maturity by 1 (girls) to 2 (boys) years compared to the homologous group from Zagreb. The reference values determined in the study may serve as a diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic tool in the orthodontics and pedodontics of the respective cities.
