VII. graphic analysis of biological maturation by means of maturograms.

The attainment of various maturity criteria has been analyzed by probit analysis using a logarithmic time concept (logarithmic conceptional age). The resulting probit lines have been plotted in charts-maturograms -using the x-axis as an age-scale and the y-axis as a marker of standard deviations scores. The slope of the probit lines is in such a direction that early occurrences are assigned positive SD-scores and late ones negative scores. The maturity criteria can be divided into two catergories- sequential (e.g. number of erupted teeth) or non-sequential (e.g. the menarche). When examined a child is observed to be within a certain stage of maturity. The observation can be evaluated with a cross-sectional or a longitudinal approach. The latter requires repeated examinations. The evaluation will result in a relative scoring (SD-scores) of the observations, i.e. a relative maturity level is calculated. The practical procedure has been exemplified for pubertal and dental development. Two sets of charts-pubertograms-have been constructed for the assessment of pubertal development in each sex. For dental development there are also two sets of sex-specific charts -dentograms- one for the deciduousdentition and one for the permanent dentition. Individual patterns of maturation can be analyzed by plotting the estimated SD-scores of the various maturograms. Individual variations in the trends of the estimated SD-scores may be an indication of different velocities of maturation.