Objective: to identify the stage of skeletal maturation according to the chronological age of pediatric patients ranging from 8 to 12 years who attended the Dental Program at the Corporacion Universitaria Rafael Nunez. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted from 2012 to 2013, in children from 8 to 12 years presenting digital cephalic lateral radiographs. C2, C3 and C4 vertebrae were identified; strokes of the vertebrae were performed with graphite pencil on tracing paper. Results: From a total of 100 pediatric patients studied, 49% (49) were male and 51% (51) female. The average age of both was 9.1 ± 1.02, 48% were in stage 1 (CMV1), 38% were in stage 2 (CMV2), and 14% were in stage 3 (CMV3). Conclusion: girls had earlier changes than boys. The cephalic lateral radiograph is a useful, economical, easy and reliable method to assess the degree of ossification, and it is statistically reliable and valid.