Abstract

Two groups of Finnish children, 1008 from the eastern part of the country and 569 from the western part, aged 5 to 16 years, were examined to determine the timing of permanent tooth emergence and any regional variation therein. The probit analysis was used to calculate the median ages of eruption. Permanent teeth in the first phase of the mixed dentition erupted earlier and premolars erupted later than previously reported for Scandinavian populations. The former finding could reflect the secular trend; the latter is probably related to the dramatically improved dental health in Finnish children. No regional variation in eruption was found. The median ages of eruption of permanent teeth determined in the present study are suggested for use as national standards for permanent tooth emergence in Finland, separately for girls and boys.