The Burlington Growth Study was a labour of love for Dr. Frank Popovich, Professor, and Past Director of Burlington Growth Centre from 1961 to 1989. He completed the collection of this longitudinal growth data and soon realized that he had accumulated one of the most significant databases for craniofacial growth in the world.

The Burlington Growth Centre at the University of Toronto was initiated by Dr. Robert Moyers in 1952 when Burlington was a town with a population of 9,000 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, and 12. Records were obtained annually on the three-year-old children; at ages 9, 12, 14, 16, 20 years on the original six-year-old children and at 12 and 20 years on the original 12-year-old children. 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. Complete orthodontic records were taken for all children consisting of 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.

Recently the sample was extended to 40 years for the original three-year-old sample and to 70 years for the original parent sample. There are, in total, approximately 8,000 sets of records and 46,746 cephalometric X-rays. The sample is thus, one of the world’s most important collections of longitudinal craniofacial and occlusal, growth and development data.

Initially established to help develop parameters to study the successes of orthodontic treatment, it soon became evident that this mountain of information would aid not only the orthodontic community, but also medicine, genetics and anthropology. Most significantly, the anthropometric data has contributed to our understanding of general and craniofacial growth and development. There have been over 330 graduate and postgraduate studies that have utilized this data as a standard for normal craniofacial growth. Researchers from across Canada and around the world come to the University of Toronto to visit the Burlington Growth Centre and utilize the data. Graduate orthodontic residents are frequent users of the Burlington Records.

Probably the largest contribution made by Dr. Popovich to the science of orthodontics was the development of the Burlington Craniofacial Growth Templates. These templates plot the amount and direction of craniofacial growth that occurs in males and females from the age of 4 to 20 years. These templates are used as a diagnostic tool in orthodontics to aid in cephalometric analysis.

Transverse, anteroposterior and vertical measurements from the templates provide information related to the skeletal unit size and spatial orientation of the maxilla, mandible and cranial base. These measurements also provide information related to the position of the molars and incisors. All of these facts become an important part of our orthodontic diagnosis.

The most significant observation relates to the dynamics of facial growth and how our treatment will impact and change the growing face. Not all faces grow “down and forward at a 45 degree angle”. There are vertical, horizontal and horizontal-vertical growth patterns, which distinguish each individual patient we treat and impact the decisions we make for them on a daily basis.

The material is a priceless asset for future studies of secular change in craniofacial growth and development in Caucasian populations. Skull shape, size and form from the Burlington data was used to help develop better fitting helmets for sports like hockey and football.

The discipline of orthodontics at the University of Toronto is not only committed to providing research access to the Burlington data, but also wishes to encourage graduate orthodontic programs worldwide to teach the use of the Burlington Craniofacial Growth Templates in orthodontic diagnosis. A graduate teaching program and instructor is available for any school wanting to teach the Burlington Craniofacial Analysis to their residents.

The use of the records and data of the Burlington Growth Centre, and the Craniofacial Growth Templates is protected by copyright owned by the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Therefore, before arrival at the center, permission must be granted for the use of this data.

Please forward inquires to:

Diana Tucker
Curator
Burlington Growth Centre
Faculty of Dentistry
University of Toronto
124 Edward St.,
Toronto, Ontario,
Canada M5G 1G6
Phone: 416-979-4924 ext. 4396
bgc.dentistry@utoronto.ca
d.tucker@dentistry.utoronto.ca

Include:

• University name
• Department
• Mailing address
• Name of your staff supervisor
• Email address
• Phone number
• Company name
• Mailing address
• Name of researcher (primary contact)
• Brief research proposal
• Approximate dates for on-site visit.

Dr. B. D. Tompson, Director
Burlington Growth Centre, Discipline of Orthodontics, University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry

Dr. M. W. Patrician, Co-Director Burlington Growth Centre, Discipline of Orthodontics, University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry

Dr. S. Suri, Co-Director
Burlington Growth Centre, Discipline of Orthodontics, University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry