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Objectives: Mouth opening capacity is often regarded as one of the important parameters for evaluating the function of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and masticatory muscle status. A reduced mouth opening capacity may be one of the first clinical signs of TMJ involvement. The purpose of this study was to create age related percentiles for the maximal interincisal distance (MID) of healthy children. Methods: The patients admitted for routine dental examinations to Istanbul University Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics were included in this study. The interincisal measurements were performed with metallic calliper and also malocclusions were recorded for all children. Oneway Anova test, Tukey HDS test, Tamhane’s T2 test and Student t test were used for statistical analysis. Results: The study population comprised of 1059 (569 males, 490 females), 3-to 15-year-old (mean age 8.82±3.06) children. The mean score of maximal inter-incisal distance was found 33.24±5.54 for females; 33.32±5.71 for males. There was no statistically significant difference according to gender (p=0.815; p>0.05). The mean score of maximal inter-incisal distance was found 28.63±4.34 for 3-5 years; 33.52±4.84 for 6-11 years; 37.35±5.52 for 12-15 years children. Statistically significant differences were found between age groups (p: 0.001; p

A case with a dilacerated maxillary permanent central incisor, treated with forced eruption technique is illustrated and the results of the 4-year follow up are presented. After the successful eruption of the tooth, the root development was completed and the root canal was obliterated. The 4-year follow-up results revealed the tooth to be still functional and the radiographic evaluation showed that the periodontal and periapical tissues were intact and healthy. In conclusion, the impacted dilacerated incisor diagnosed in the early mixed dentition should be treated with the aid of orthodontic traction. The long-term follow up showed that once the tooth is placed in the occlusion properly, it may function well esthetically and preserve its periodontal and periapical health. © 2007 Blackwell Munksgaard.