Timing of permanent tooth emergence in two Greenland Eskimo populations.

Mean times of emergence of the permanent teeth (except the first and third molars and mandibular central incisors) were studied cross-sectionally in an unmixed East Greenland population in 1957 and in present West Greenland Eskimo children. In spite of differences in racial and environmental conditions, practically no difference was found between the two samples in the timing of dental development in general, taking into account the average difference in emergence times of the individual teeth. Both samples showed advanced dental development in comparison with two unmixed Caucasoid and two unmixed Mongoloid populations. The mutual similarity in timing of tooth emergence between the East and West Greenland Eskimo children considerably greater than the similarity between each of the Eskimo samples and any of the other four populations.