Root Growth and Apical Foramen Closure Velocity of Maxillary Permanent Central Incisor in Korean Children

This study aimed to evaluate the growth velocity of root elongation and the timing of apical foramen closure in maxillary permanent central incisors using panoramic radiographs. The study also examined the timing of alveolar eruption and its relationship with root development while considering potential sex-specific differences. The study included 176 patients (94 males, 82 females) from the Seoul National University Dental Hospital, each with three or more panoramic radiographs taken between 2014 and 2023 and analyzed to measure the crown length, total tooth length, root length, and mesiodistal width of the apical foramen. Root lengths were expressed as percentages of the fully developed stage. Scatter plots and polynomial trend lines were used to evaluate the relationship between age and tooth development, with intraobserver reliability assessed using Cohen’ s kappa. Root growth velocity peaked during the early stages of development, with females generally exhibiting earlier and faster apical foramen closure than males. Significant correlations were found between the root length and apical foramen width (Pearson correlation coefficients, males, -0.907; females, -0.887, p < 0.0001). The mean age for alveolar eruption was 7.27 years for males (N = 16) and 7.10 for females (N = 17), predominantly at Demirjian stage F. The study presents the critical periods of rapid root elongation and apical foramen closure in the maxillary central incisors, underscoring their importance for clinical dental practice. Future research is warranted to provide a more comprehensive understanding of human dental development.