AAOF University of Toronto Burlington Growth Study Overview

The University of Toronto Burlington Growth Study

Curator: Bryan D. Tompson DDS, DOrtho, DPaedo, FRCD(C)

Institution: Division of Orthodontics - Dental School, University of Toronto

The Burlington Growth Centre at the University of Toronto was initiated by Dr. Robert Moyers and Dr. Frank Popovich in 1952 when Burlington was a town with a population of 5,000 situated approximately 30 miles from Toronto in the region that at that time comprised 40% of the national population. The predominant racial group was Caucasian & mostly Anglo Saxon. The local population enjoyed a slightly higher income than the national average. The specified ages selected for the study were 3, 6, 8, 10, 12. This resulted in an original sample of 1258 children representing approximately 90% of the Burlington children in these age groups. There are also records, at various ages, of 111 siblings of the original study group and 312 parents. There are, in total, approximately 8,000 sets of records and 46,746 cephalometric X-rays. To date, there have been 339 studies using the Burlington Growth Centre information. The sample is divided into 6 study groups:
SE – Serial Experimental at age 3 (N=312): Records taken annually from age of 3-20 years, whenever possible. Any child in this group that needed orthodontic treatment was treated at the BGC.
C-6 – Serial Control at age 6 (N=295): Records taken at ages 6, 9, 12, 14, 16 and 20. No treatment given at the BGC, some children in this group and the rest of the control groups had treatment by private orthodontists. No specifics available of such treatment
C-8 - Control at age 8 (N=219): Records taken at age 8
C-10 - Control at age 10 (N=217): Records at age 10, with a few other ages
C-12 - Control at age 12 (N=215): Records at age 12 & about half again at age 20 with a few other ages

Complete orthodontic records available include: 6 Cephalometric radiographs, containing: 1 PA; 2 obliques (45 deg.); 1 lat. in occlusion; 1 lat. with open bite; 1 lat. in rest position (enlargement 9.84%); 1 hand-wrist; Dental models; Height and weight; history containing: diagnosis, habits, childhood diseases, ethnic background; TA notation if applicable; details of any orthodontic treatment given at the BGC; and photographs.

There are 167 Burlington Growth Centre Cases (98 females and 69 males) that meet AAOF RFP criteria.