A Case of Orthodontic Treatment for Generalized Aggressive Periodontitis.

Aggressive periodontitis mostly affects young people, causing rapid destruction of periodontal tissue and loss of supporting alveolar bone. The destruction of periodontal tissue induces pathological tooth movement, resulting in various types of malocclusion such as crowding or spacing in the dentition. This report describes orthodontic treatment for malocclusion due to generalized aggressive periodontitis. The patient was a 31-year-old woman who presented with the chief complaint of displacement in the anterior teeth. An oral examination revealed pathological tooth mobility throughout the entire oral cavity due to severe loss of periodontal support. Many gaps in the displaced maxillary anterior teeth and crowding in the mandibular anterior teeth were also observed. The goal of subsequent treatment was to achieve ideal overjet and overbite by aligning the teeth and closing the spaces via non-extraction orthodontic treatment with stripping. The periodontal disease was managed by a periodontist who provided guidance on oral hygiene and periodontal disease control throughout the course of orthodontic treatment. Appropriate occlusion and a good oral environment were achieved. The condition of the periodontal tissue stabilized during and after orthodontic treatment, and favourable occlusal stability was observed at the 2-year follow-up examination.

Demographics of Postgraduate Training Course at Tokyo Dental College Department of Orthodontics and Alumni Working Trends.

The postgraduate training course at the Department of Orthodontics of Tokyo Dental College, which started in April 1975, comprises a 3-year curriculum aimed at fostering orthodontic specialists. A system of Accreditation for Orthodontists was introduced by the Japan Orthodontic Society in 1990, since which time, this postgraduate training course has also sought to provide the basic training required to obtain such certification. The purpose of this study was to investigate the demographics of the students on this course and the current work status of its graduates by means of a questionnaire-based survey. The results revealed that, when the fortieth intake of students graduated in March 2017, the total number completing the course had reached 326. The annual mean number of students on this course was 8.2, and recent years have seen a marked increase in the number of women enrolling. In total, 37.5% of the questionnaire respondents had opened orthodontic clinics; 14.8% had opened general dentistry clinics; and 42.6% were working as employees. In addition, 46.2% had an additional place of employment other than their principal place of employment, mainly at a general dentistry clinic. Regarding the field of treatment, 82.4% provided solely orthodontic treatment. We believe that this may because all the responders had completed the postgraduate orthodontics course. The rate of earning accreditation as an orthodontist was high (82.4%), with no difference in the rate of acquisition between men and women. The rate of qualification as a Board-certified orthodontist was 17.9%, with the rate of acquisition by women approximately half of that by men. The number of female orthodontists is rising, and no difference was observed between sexes in the rate of acquiring accreditation as an orthodontist. Women were found to be lagging behind men, however, in regard to the rate of advancement to masters/PHD programs; qualifying as a Board-certified orthodontist; opening an orthodontic practice; and number of days worked. These findings suggest that there are differences in regard to the actual working conditions among the alumni of our postgraduate orthodontic training course, and that these differences are sex-based.

Effect of Different Bracket Prescriptions on Orthodontic Treatment Outcomes Measured by Three-dimensional Scanning.

Various types of bracket are currently available, and different prescriptions are provided for the same type of tooth. There are no definite criteria, however, on which to base bracket selection. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the angulation and inclination of orthodontically aligned teeth when using different prescription brackets. Thirty patients undergoing orthodontic treatment for maxillary protrusion and crowding were enrolled. After orthodontic treatment with a pre-adjusted appliance, angulation and inclination were measured on dental casts obtained from these patients (10 each with 0.022 MBT, 0.022 Roth, or 0.018 Roth brackets). The dental casts were scanned and digitized using a 3-dimensional (3-D) scanner and measured with 3-D model measurement software. A significant difference was observed in the mean angulation of the mandibular canine between the 0.022 MBT (5.81°) and 0.018 Roth groups (9.07°). Greater mesial inclination was observed in the 0.018 Roth group. No significant difference was observed in any of the other regions measured. Differences in bracket prescription showed no clinical influence on treatment outcomes. A significant difference was observed in the mandibular canine (p<0.05), suggesting that consideration is required when selecting brackets.

Change in Anterior Crowding over 20 Years from Third Decade of Life in Untreated Angle Class I Crowding.

Many studies have investigated age-related change in normal occlusion and during the post-retention phase of orthodontic treatment. None, however, have investigated such change in malocclusion. The purpose of this study was to compare age-related change in Angle Class I crowding with that in normal occlusion. Dental casts obtained from 10 men and 2 women in their 20s and then again in their 40s were digitized with a 3-dimensional laser scanner to measure anterior crowding, angulation, inclination, andarch width and length. A paired t -test was used to evaluate change in these values betweenthe two sets of casts. A student's t -test was used to compare values between the crowdingand normal groups. The casts obtained from individuals with untreated Angle Class Icrowding revealed that anterior crowding increased with age due to a decrease in thelength of the maxillary arch. Clear lingual inclination of the maxillary incisors and mesiolingual inclination of the maxillary canines were also observed. A decrease was observedin the anterior arch width and an increase in crowding due to lingual inclination of themandibular canines in the mandible. The space between the mandibular central incisors and between the mandibular lateral incisors and canines was particularly associated withan increase in crowding, suggesting that this was age-related. A comparison betweenpatients in their 40s with Angle Class I crowding and those with normal occlusion revealedthat the increase in maxillary anterior crowding was greater in the former. Mandibularanterior crowding increased at around the same rate, however.

Efficiency of Closed Mastication of Gummy Evaluated with Gnatho-hexagraph.

The aim of this study was to determine whether chewing with closed lips improved masticatory efficiency compared with open lips. A total of 21 adults comprising 10 men and 11 women with a mean age of 26.2±3.5 years and normal masticatory function were included in the study. The study participants were instructed to chew a fresh gummy under two conditions for 30 seconds each, one after the other: the first with closed lips, and the second with open lips. The average size of the fragmented gummies was calculated and graded from 1 to 4 according to a specific scale. Masticatory efficiency was evaluated using this "gummy mastication value" and the Gnatho-hexagraph II to observe and analyse jaw movement during chewing. Differences in chewing time and mouth-opening distance were also compared. The gummy mastication value for open and closed lips mastication was 2.51±0.56 and 3.25±0.50, respectively (p<0.01). Masticatory efficiency was significantly greater during closed-lip mastication. The number of chewing strokes over 20 seconds decreased while chewing time and mouth-opening distance increased in cycle 1 with open-lip mastication. In conclusion, the present results revealed that chewing efficiency improved with closed-lip mastication, indicating that instruction to seal the lips while eating is appropriate and necessary.

Velocity of Canine Retraction in Angle Class I Treated with First Premolar Extraction: Effect of Facial Pattern.

Recently, new methods have been applied to increase velocity of tooth movement. A standard mean of tooth movement velocity remains to be established, however. Moreover, to our knowledge, no studies have investigated the effect of factors affecting this velocity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of facial pattern on the mean velocity of canine retraction in selected cases of orthodontic treatment carried out at this hospital. A total of 112 patients with Angle Class I crowding treated with extraction of the bilateral maxillary and mandibular first premolars and a conventional edgewise bracket were selected at random. The canine retraction period was defined as that between the end of leveling and the beginning of anterior retraction, and was obtained from medical records. Calipers were used to measure how far the canine cusps moved between pre- and post-surgically on superimposed cephalometric tracings. The velocity of canine retraction was significantly slower in the maxilla of male patients with a brachyofacial pattern (p<0.01). Canine retraction is the longest stage of orthodontic treatment. Here, movement was slowest in the maxilla of male patients with a brachyofacial pattern. This indicates that treatment may take longer than average in male patients with a brachyofacial pattern, and that this should be explained prior to commencing such work.

Change in proportion of extraction and non-extraction in orthodontic patients.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there has been an increase in the number of non-extraction cases over recent years and investigate the selection of treatment devices. Patients attending the Department of Orthodontics at Tokyo Dental College Chiba Hospital in whom orthodontic treatment was commenced between July 1989 and July 1990 (Group A) or between June 1998 and May 2003 (Group B) were included in the study. The orthodontic diagnostic records of the patients were examined. Patients requiring orthognathic surgery, those with congenital diseases or cleft palate, and those with an uncertain diagnostic record were excluded. The characteristics, initial age, and classification of malocclusion in the two groups were almost the same. The patients in both groups were further divided into two subgroups: one in which treatment was commenced in mixed dentition and another in which it was begun in permanent dentition. The final therapeutic strategy, that is to say, non-extraction or extraction, was investigated in all groups. The final observation date in the mixed dentition group in Group B was September 2011. No major differences were observed in pattern or type of malocclusion between the two groups. Group B, however, showed an increased rate of non-extraction treatment. A policy of non-extraction was pursued in a higher proportion of patients in whom treatment was commenced in mixed dentition than in those in which it was begun in permanent dentition.

Effect of orthodontic treatment on occlusal condition and masticatory function.

Change in occlusion and masticatory function after orthodontic treatment was investigated by a follow-up study in a group of 14 patients with malocclusion (3 men, 11 women, aged 12-46 years). All completed a food questionnaire and underwent occlusal force evaluation using a pressure-sensitive sheet at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and during the retention phase. The number of foods identified as difficult to eat decreased at post-treatment in all patients. The mean occlusal force was 646.6±223.5 N at pretreatment, 401.1±109.1 N at post-treatment, and 530.6±183.6 N during the retention phase. The mean occlusal contact area was 14.1±5.9 mm(2) at pre-treatment, 6.5±1.7 mm(2) at post-treatment, and 9.8±3.8 mm(2) during the retention phase. The mean average occlusal pressure was 47.6±6.6 MPa at pre-treatment, 62.2±5.7 MPa at post-treatment, and 55.4±6.7 MPa during the retention phase. A Dental Prescale film evaluation revealed that occlusal force and occlusal contact area increased over the 1-year retention phase. An improvement in level of satisfaction with mastication ability was reported at post-treatment and during the retention phase. Average occlusal pressure at post-treatment increased significantly (p <0.01), which may account for the observed increase in the ability of the patients to bite through food. These results suggest that an increase in average occlusal pressure improves level of satisfaction with mastication ability.

Model analysis in "8020" achievers using three-dimensional images.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of aging on the dentition by quantifying the dimensions of the dental arches in elderly persons aged over 80 years with 20 or more remaining teeth (8020 achievers). The study included twenty 8020 achievers (10 males and 10 females, with an average age of 82.3 years and an average of 28.3 present teeth). Their dental casts were digitized with a 3-dimensional (3-D) laser scanner, reconstructed into 3-D images, and measured with IMAGEWARE. The anterior and posterior widths of the upper and lower coronal arches and their anterior and posterior lengths together with the anterior and posterior widths of the maxillary and mandibular basal arches and their anterior and posterior lengths were measured. An unpaired t-test was performed using statistical analysis software. Dental models of 31 people with normal occlusion (16 males and 15 females, with an average age of 23.3 years) were measured with digital calipers and compared with the measurements obtained from the 8020 achievers. Several common items with significant differences were observed in the mandibular measurements. Each comparison indicated a tendency toward a decrease in size in the 8020 group: Coronal Arch P-length (p<0.05 in Male group, p<0.01 in Female group), Basal Arch A-width (p<0.05 in Male group, p<0.001 in Female group), Basal Arch A-length (p<0.001 in both group), and Basal Arch P-length (p<0.001 in both group). From these results, 3-D dental model analysis in twenty 8020 achievers revealed narrowing of the mandibular intercanine width and shortening of the mandibular anterior and posterior lengths.

Mesio-distal tooth angulation in elderly with many remaining teeth observed by 3-D imaging.

Few studies have investigated the morphologic characteristics of teeth, dental arches and occlusion in elderly persons with many remaining teeth. The purpose of this study was to establish a method of measurement using 3-D imaging to investigate tooth angulation in the elderly from the orthodontic point of view. The dental casts of 20 elderly persons with many remaining teeth were digitized with a 3-D laser scanner (VMS-100F, UNISN INC., Osaka, Japan) to construct 3-D images. The mesio-distal angulation of each tooth was then measured with analytical software (SURFLACER, UNISN INC. and IMAGEWARE 12, UGS PLM Solutions, MO, USA). The occlusal plane formed by the incisal edge of the central incisor and distal buccal cusp tip of the first molar on either side was used as a reference plane for measurements. Mesio-distal tooth angulation (indicated in degrees) of maxillary teeth in this subjects averaged 1.26 for central incisors, 5.46 for lateral incisors, 7.84 for canines, 6.59 for first premolars, 5.78 for second premolars, 1.64 for first molars and -4.17 for second molars. Average values for mandibular teeth were 0.91 for central incisors, 2.35 for lateral incisors, 7.04 for canines, 8.76 for first premolars, 10.44 for second premolars, 7.33 for first molars and 12.67 for second molars. There was no statistical difference between the data in man and women except maxillary second molar (p<0.05). Mesial angulation in the mandibular arch showed a progressive increase from the anterior to the posterior. However, this tendency was not observed in the maxillary arch.

Tooth inclination in elderly with many remaining teeth observed by 3-D imaging.

Tooth inclination has been discussed many times in terms of esthetics and functionality, but reports related to aging are extremely rare. The purpose of this study was to evaluate tooth inclination in the elderly from the orthodontic point of view. The dental casts of twenty elderly persons with many remaining teeth were digitized with a 3-D laser scanner (VMS-100F,UNISN INC., Osaka, Japan) for reconstruction into 3-D images. Inclination of each tooth was then measured with an analytical software (SURFLACER, UNISN INC. and IMAGEWARE 12, UGS PLM Solutions, MO, USA). The occlusal plane formed by the incisal edge of the central incisor and distal buccal cusp tip of the first molar on either side was used as a reference plane to measure tooth inclination, and the complementary angle as tooth inclination was measured. The average tooth inclinations (degrees) of the maxillary teeth were 8.08 for central incisors, 8.10 for lateral incisors, 4.85 for canines, -6.68 for first premolars, -5.58 for second premolars, -5.15 for first molars, and -5.41 for second molars. The corresponding values for the mandibular teeth were 6.78 for central incisors, 4.87 for lateral incisors, -5.73 for canines, -13.74 for first premolars, -19.21 for second premolars, -23.76 for first molars, and -28.63 for second molars. There was no statistical difference between men and women, except for in the maxillary lateral incisors (p<0.05). Tooth inclination showed a progressive decrease from anterior to posterior. The decrease in the mandibular teeth was more regular than that of the maxillary teeth.

Esthetic preferences of European American, Hispanic American, Japanese, and African judges for soft-tissue profiles.

INTRODUCTION: Our objectives were to determine whether observer and patient sex and race or ethnicity determine esthetic preferences for lip positions. METHODS: Four independent panels each consisting of 30 lay judges viewed pretreatment silhouette profiles of 10 European American, 10 Japanese, and 10 African American Angle Class I and Class II orthodontic patients. The panels included European Americans, Hispanic Americans, Japanese, and Africans. Profiles were traced from lateral cephalograms and manipulated so that the lip profile lay on the Ricketts' E-line or at various distances from the E-line from -8 to +4 mm in 2-mm increments. The judges selected the profile that they considered the most attractive and then classified the remaining 6 profiles as either acceptable or unacceptable. RESULTS: The mean preferred lip positions (mean +/- SD) were -2.58 +/- 1.92 mm for European American, -3.28 +/- 2.26 mm for Hispanic American, -3.45 +/- 1.92 mm for Japanese, and -2.13 +/- 1.95 mm for African judges. The African judges preferred more protrusive profiles compared with the Hispanic American (P <0.01) and Japanese (P <0.001) judges. Patient race or ethnicity and sex also contributed significantly to the judgments of profile esthetics (P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Judge race or ethnicity and patient race or ethnicity and sex significantly influence laypersons' standards for lip profile esthetics.

Six-year follow-up in skeletal Class III patient aged over 40 receiving orthognathic surgery and autotransplantation: a case report.

This paper describes the post-operative course of care in a patient requiring orthognathic surgery for skeletal mandibular protrusion in whom autotransplantation of a third molar was performed. A lower third molar that had to be removed for sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO) was transplanted to replace the missing right second molar during pre-surgical orthodontic treatment, contributing to post-treatment occlusal stability. A 44-year-old woman presented with mandibular protrusion. The upper left second molar was congenitally missing and the lower right second molar had been extracted. She was diagnosed as having skeletal mandibular protrusion with excess vertical growth of the mandible and anterior open bite. Correction of the skeletal problem required orthognathic surgery by SSRO and Le Fort I osteotomy without orthodontic tooth extraction. At month 5 during 18 months of pre-surgical orthodontic treatment, the lower left third molar was transplanted to the lower right second molar site. Active treatment was completed after 7 months of post-surgical orthodontic treatment. The patient wore upper and lower Begg-type removable retainers for approximately 2 years. She returned for a recall checkup at 6 years post-treatment. Although radiographic examination revealed root resorption and ankylosis of the autotransplanted tooth at 8 years after transplantation, occlusion has remained stable with no clinically significant complications. The autotransplanted tooth helped stabilize her occlusion and acted as a kind of temporary tooth prior to the final decision on treatment to be given such a dental implant.

Occlusal force in people in their sixties attending college for elderly.

The "8020" goal of retaining 20 or more teeth after the age of 80 necessitates investigating oral health status in people below the age of 80. The purpose of this study was to determine similarities and differences between people in their sixties attending college and achievers of the 8020 goal. The results of oral examination and occlusal force measurement in 46 students enrolled at a college for the elderly in Chiba City with an average age of 66.9 years (22 men, 24 women) were compared with data from previous surveys of fifty-two 8020 achievers (28 men, 24 women). Occlusal force was measured and evaluated using Dental Prescale (Fuji Photo Film Co., Tokyo). The average number of present teeth was 25.8, and no subjects showed anterior crossbite, comparable with findings in 8020 achievers. Average occlusal force was 942.9 + or - 440.1 N (1,029.6 + or - 545.9 N for men, 863.4 + or - 305.1 N for women), not significantly different from that in 8020 achievers. The results of multiple regression analysis suggest that occlusal force is unaffected by aging if many teeth are present.

Curvature of cervical vertebra in 8020 achievers observed by lateral cephalogram.

The hypothesis of this research was that elderly people with many remaining teeth and good occlusion (8020 achievers) would be able to maintain proper head and body posture, despite aging. The purpose of this study, as a first stage, was to clarify the aging phenomenon of cervical curvature in 8020 achievers in comparison with that in young adults. Subjects consisted of twenty-eight 8020 achievers, with a mean age of 82.96+/-3.3 years and 26.5+/-4.0 teeth. For comparison, forty adults in their 20's with a mean age of 22.9+/-0.7 years and 28.2+/-0.6 teeth were also enrolled. The cervical vertebra was assessed based on the distance from the CV line (tangential line of the 2nd and 6th cervical vertebra) to each cervical vertebra and the angles formed by the cervical and reference lines in the cranial bone. Every distance from the CV line to each cervical vertebra in the 8020 group was bigger than that in the 20's group (p<0.01-0.001). The distance from the CV line to CV-3 and CV-5 in 8020 women was larger than that in 8020 men (p<0.05). Every distance from the CV line to each cervical vertebra in 8020 women was larger than that in 20's women (p<0.01-0.001). There was no significant difference between 8020 men and 20's men. The difference between the women's group was more marked than that between age groups for men. The cervical curvature in 8020 achievers showed a greater tendency toward cervical lordosis than that in young adults. In the 8020 achievers, the curvature in women was greater than that in men. The curvature in 8020 women seemed was marked, showing strong cervical lordosis, despite the presence of many remaining teeth and good occlusion. It remains to be determined by comparing 8020 achievers with ordinary elderly whether the condition of the teeth influences spinal curvature with aging.

Oral flora in independent over 80-year-olds with more than 20 teeth.

The purpose of this study was to investigate oral flora in independent persons aged over 80 years with more than 20 remaining teeth. The subjects were 22 participants of the 8020 campaign (6 males and 16 females) with a mean age of 81.3+/-1.6 years and an average of 24.7 teeth (Independent 8020 group). This group was compared with a group of 38 elderly people residing in nursing homes (10 males and 28 females) who had a mean age of 81.3+/-8.5 years and an average of 4.2 teeth (Nursing group with fewer teeth). Saliva samples were collected from the vestibular areas of the maxilla and mandible using cotton swabs. Cell numbers of microorganisms were expressed as colony forming units/ml (CFUs/ml) and compared between the two groups. The average number of Staphylococcus species was 65.2+/-74.4 CFUs/ml in the Independent 8020 group and 400.3+/-352.1 CFUs/ml in the group with fewer teeth (p<0.01); that of Candida albicans was 18.0+/-37.7 CFUs/ml in the Independent 8020 group and 152.9+/-211.9 CFUs/ml in the Nursing group with fewer teeth (p<0.05). Both species showed statistically significant differences between the two groups. This suggests that the Independent 8020 achiever group had better oral hygiene and that the presence of many teeth may be associated with an increased awareness of dental health.

Lip seal study of Japanese adults with malocclusion.

The purpose of this study to clarify the factors an effecting lip seal in Japanese adults with malocclusion. Sixty-three malocclusion patients aged 20 to 27 years were randomly selected and compared with fourteen normal occlusion controls aged 22 to 26 years old. The subjects were divided into a good seal group and a poor lip seal group by observing the distance between the upper and lower lip at rest. Results of this adult study were as follows; There were no poor lip seals in normal occlusion subjects. Significant differences were observed for tongue thrust (p < 0.05) and mouth breathing (p < 0.05) between the good lip seal group and poor lip seal group of malocclusion subjects. Adults with poor lip seal should be treated for their malocclusion prior to be other functional approaches to improving their lip seal.

Oral habits of temporomandibular disorder patients with malocclusion.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between oral habits and symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder in patients who had sought orthodontic treatment by analyzing their present and past history. The subjects were 57 female patients (average age: 23 years and 6 months old) who had visited the "Temporomandibular Disorder Section" in our orthodontic department. Their chief complaints were the symptom of TMJ and the abnormalities of occlusion such as maxillary protrusion, open bite, crowding, mandibular protrusion, cross bite, deep bite, edge-to-edge bite, and spacing. Their present conditions and past histories were examined and evaluated. The most typical primary symptom was joint sound (23 patients, 40.0%). The second was joint sound and pain (15 patients, 26.3%). Of the symptoms present at the time of examination, the most prevalent were joint sound and pain (20 patients, 35.1%). The 48 patients (82.8%) had significant oral habits. Unilateral chewing was seen in 35 patients (72.9%), bruxism in 27 (56.3%), abnormality of posture in 14 (29.2%), habitual crunching in 10 (20.8%) and resting the check on the hand in 4 (8.3%), respectively. When comparing the primary symptoms to those at the time of examination, the patients with unilateral chewing and bruxism tended to have more complicated symptoms. In conclusion, the TMD symptoms of the patients with notable oral habits did not change or become worse during a period of about 5 years.

Evaluation of psychological factors in orthodontic patients with TMD as applied to the "TMJ Scale".

Physical and psychological evaluation have been required for TMD patients whose problems are multi dimensional. The questionnaire named the "TMJ Scale" was created to differentiate subjective TMD symptoms of patients. The purpose of this study was to clarify the reliability of the TMJ Scale for Japanese orthodontic patients with TMD and to differentiate the symptoms. Fifty orthodontic patients (average age 21y4m) with a chief complaint of TMD symptoms were compared with thirty patients (average age 21y1m) without TMD symptoms. The results were as follows: female patients in the symptom group in particular showed a higher degree of stress due to the chronic pain and abnormalities than those in the non-symptom group. Significant differences were observed in Pain Report, Joint Dysfunction and Global Scale at the 0.1% significant level, in Non-TM Disorder, Psychological Factor and Chronicity at the 1% level, and in Palpation Pain and Perceived Malocclusion at the 5% level in females. Few psychological problems were observed in male patients in the symptom group. Significant differences were observed in Range of Motion limitation at the 5% level in males. The differences in the psychological factors between male and female patients were clarified by using the TMJ Scale. These findings suggested that it was useful to differentiate the multiple symptoms, especially the psychological factors, by using the TMJ Scale for orthodontic patients with TMD.

Appraisal of bone maturity age derived from broadband ultrasonic attenuation in Japanese children and adolescents.

It is clinically important to evaluate the level of skeletal maturation in juveniles to determine the appropriate timing for orthodontic treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the age of bone maturity by using an ultrasonic bone analyzer (Cuba Clinical, McCue Ultrasonics Ltd., Winchester, U.K.), Broadband ultrasonic attenuation (BUA:dB/MHz) was measured at the left calcaneus as an effective indicator of the age of bone maturity. The subjects consisted of 249 males and 304 females aged 12 to 29 years who had not suffered constitutional bone disease or a disease of the endocrine system. The peak value of BUA considered as bone maturity was 104.44 at the age of 19 years in males and 77.80 at the age of 16 years in females, and the peak age range was indicated as 18-19 years in males and 13-16 years in females by statistical evaluation. The peak age range indicated by BUA was wider in females than that in males. The present results can be used as reference ages for maturity in growth prediction for orthodontic treatment of Japanese children and adolescents. The heights and weights of the subjects were also collected as basic data. A significant positive correlation was observed between BUA values and weight (r = 0.34 p < 0.01 in females, r = 0.52 p < 0.01 in males). BUA is known to describe the quality of bone because the calcaneus is a loading bone. The relation between bone quality and growth has not been discussed. Further research is required to investigate this relationship.