Dental developmental status of southern Chinese girls in Hong Kong.

Dental developmental status of the permanent canines, premolars and second molars were studied in one hundred and two twelve-year-old Southern Chinese girls born and brought up in Hong Kong. Eruption of these teeth were defined as gingival emergence during the clinical examination while the root development was assessed from orthopantomographs. Root resorption pattern of the primary canines and molars were also studied with the aid of the orthopantomographs. Two-thirds of girls presented with permanent dentition stage. The root resorption patterns of the primary teeth were different from their order of exfoliation. The mandibular permanent teeth were in advanced in both eruption and root development than the corresponding maxillary teeth, except the first premolars.