We thank Dr Celikoglu for his interest in our article and for the comments and matters he raised.

We mentioned that a late developing dentition with an insufficiently developed lateral incisor might affect the migration of the developing canine and result in its impaction. Such an effect was attributed to the guidance theory of the lateral incisor. The root of a late developing lateral incisor will be too rudimentary to provide the critical guidance for the developing canine at the early stages; thus, the canine develops more mesially and palatally in the ensuing early stages of palatal displacement.

Dr Celikoglu criticized the inclusion of subjects with missing teeth in our sample, since hypodontia has been linked to delayed tooth development. Until now, research in this area has been minimal, and there is no consensus in the literature regarding this matter; some studies have confirmed the link, whereas others disagreed.

Regarding the relationship between dental development and sagittal and vertical skeletal jaw relationships, a few studies were conducted in this area. The study investigating sagittal discrepancies and dental development was published after our study had been carried out. Secondly, in studies conducted in our department comparing dental and skeletal ages in different skeletal sagittal and vertical jaw relationships, no difference was found regarding dental age in any studied group. The difference in results between the studies of Celikoglu et al and Kanaan et al could be attributed to the sample size and characteristics (age, male-to-female ratio, ethnic background, and so on).

Once more, we highly appreciate Dr Celikoglu’s valuable comments; they certainly guide and present areas for further research linking various types of malocclusions and canine impactions with dental development.