Background: The incisors and molars play a major role in the formation and function of permanent dentition. Much research has been devoted to investigating the eruption of teeth and their root development.
Aim: To study the root development of permanent incisors and mandibular molars in correlation with treatment plan and proper treatment protocols.
Materials and methods: The Demirjian's method was used to assess the root development of incisors and mandibular molars in children between 7 and 12 years old.
Results: In 7-year-old children most of the lower first mandibular molars (76%) had complete root length, but open apices. Eighty-two percent of the roots of the first mandibular molars of the 8-year-old children and 54% of these molars of the 9-year-old children were with open apices. The first mandibular molars had incomplete roots in the 10-year-olds (6%) and even in the 11-year-old children (4%). We detected Stage E in 32% of the 10-year-olds and in 24% of the 11-year-old children. Even in 12-year-old children we found Stage E in 4% of them from their panoramic X-rays. We detected complete root development in all of the children at the age of 12.
Conclusions: Dental practitioners have to wait until the age of 10, 11 and even 12 to extract the first molars, when the furcation is formed. Proper clinical examination and diagnostic radiographs should be done before the beginning of the treatment of molars and incisors at the age between 7 and 12.
Keywords: Demirjian’s method; root development; treatment plan.