Salivary biomarkers as predictors of the pubertal growth spurt in pediatric orthodontics: a literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24265/pr061b55Keywords:
Orthodontics, Biomarkers, Growth, Sexual Maturation, ReviewAbstract
Identifying the pubertal growth spurt is a critical juncture in pediatric orthodontics, particularly for planning functional orthopedic therapies and optimizing treatment timing. Conventional methods (chronological age, secondary sexual characteristics, and skeletal maturation imaging) present limitations related to biological variability, subjectivity, and exposure to ionizing radiation. In this context, salivary biomarkers have emerged as a minimally invasive alternative for monitoring maturational status. This literature review synthesizes the available evidence regarding their utility as predictors of the pubertal growth spurt. A structured search was conducted across biomedical databases, employing explicit inclusion/exclusion criteria and methodological quality assessments in line with PRISMA 2020. The findings suggest that biomarkers such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), cortisol, salivary alkaline phosphatase, and IGF-1 show a strong association with pubertal stages and cervical/skeletal maturation indicators. However, heterogeneity in study design, analytical techniques, sampling schedules, and maturity classification criteria limits comparability and immediate clinical translation. It is concluded that while salivary biomarkers hold promise as complementary tools, multicenter longitudinal studies with standardized protocols and validated predictive models are required before their routine clinical adoption.
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