A comparison of skeletal maturation in patients with tooth agenesis and unaffected controls assessed by the cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) index

Objective: The aims of this study were to (1) investigate if there is a difference in skeletal maturation between tooth agenesis and control patients and (2) whether skeletal maturation is affected by the severity of tooth agenesis. The cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) index can be used to assess skeletal maturation. Design: A retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting: Eastman Dental Hospital, London, UK. Methods and materials: A total of 360 cephalograms of patients aged 9–17 years (164 males and 196 females) allocated to four subgroups (mild, moderate and severe tooth agenesis patients, and controls) were assessed retrospectively. There were 90 patients in each of the four subgroups. The skeletal maturation of each subject was assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively using the CVM index. All patients in the study were either currently receiving treatment or had been discharged from the hospital. Results: There was no statistically significant relationship between skeletal maturation and the ...