Comparison of Weights of Twin Fetuses and of their Incisors

Abstract

Weights of developing incisors in 10 pairs of twin fetuses have previously been related to ages in order to compare dental growth status (Stack, 1963). Ages (T0) at which weights (W) of mineralised portions of teeth of the temporary dentition become significant have been computed (Stack, 1968), using a Fortran program giving maximum likelihood estimates of the required parameters, based on the statistical model of Angleton and Pettus (1966).Availability of the additional parameter T0 allows a reexamination of the previous data, now fortified by observations on incisors from five further pairs of twin fetuses. Estimates of ages were made from the relationship (T—T0) = k·W½, where values for upper and lower central incisors were 2.0 and 2.8 for k, 19.5 and 18.5 for T0, respectively. Less reliable estimates were obtained from the lateral incisors. These values were computed from observations on 40 dentitions from normal singleton fetuses. Ages were also estimated from tabulated body weights (Documenta Geigy).