¹ Clinic of Dentistr y niš, Department of Orthodontics, Niš, Serbia
² Universit y of Niš Faculty of Medicine, Niš, Serbia

Introduction. The development of the teeth is closely associated with the proper and unobstructed physical and psychological development of the child.
Aim To determine the existence of asymmetry in the development of the roots of the lower permanent canine teeth in different age groups of children of both sexes.
Material and methods. The study was conducted on 523 ortopantomograms (253 boys and 270 girls) of orthodontic patients aged 6 to 14 years of the Dental Clinic in Niš. We analyzed the development of asymmetry in the lower permanent canine root, using the method of Gleiser and Hunt, or the modification by Tijanic (1981).
Results It was found that asymmetry in the development of the root in both sexes of the lower canine teeth was present in 20 patients (3.82%), 10 boys (3.95%) and 10 girls (3.70%). The difference is in the range of one stage. Asymmetric development of the roots of the lower incisors in girls and boys usually present in the 7th and 8th stages (60% in girls and in 50% in boys).
In 90% of girls in developing asymmetry the root of the lower canine is present in a single stage, and in 10% of girls it presents within three stages. Asymmetric development of the root of the lower canine is the most common in the 7th and 8th stages of development (55%).
Conclusion. 3.82% of patients. More than half of respondents (55%) had asymmetrical canine root development stage in half and three quarters of the total root length. The results of this study indicate that the canine is the tooth with very little variations in its development.

Key words: lower canine, root development, mineralization, asymmetry