Objective:The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the applicability of the methods proposed by Nolla and by Nicodemo and colleagues for assessing dental age and its correlation to chronological age.Methods:Panoramic radiographs of 360 patients from the city of Fortaleza (CE, Brazil) aged 7-15 years were used to assess the associations between dental and chronological age. Data were submitted to statistical analysis using the BioEstat 2.0 (2000) software. Student-Neuman-Keuls test was performed and Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated at 5% significance level.Results:When the Nolla method was applied, the mean difference between true and estimated age for males and females was underestimated. The use of the method proposed by Nicodemo and colleagues also resulted in underestimation, although it was more evident in male subjects. The correlation coefficients between chronological age and estimated dental age were high, with mean values ranging between 0.87 and 0.91 for males and between 0.84 and 0.93 for females.Conclusion:Although both methods proved to be reliable in estimating age, the use of correction factors is recommended.

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Objective:The aim of this study was to determine the differences between the skeletal ages estimated by TW2 and TW3 methods through their RUS and Carpal systems.Material and Methods:A sample of two hundred and forty hand and wrist radiographs of male and female Brazilian children aged 84-199 months was evaluated by five observers. The Dunnet test was performed for statistical analysis.Results:Results showed higher skeletal ages estimated by TW2RUS than TW3RUS and Carpal for both genders. For girls a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) was observed between TW2RUS and TW3RUS over the entire age range. For boys this difference was observed from 108 months onwards. In general RUS skeletal ages were higher than the chronological age and Carpal skeletal ages for both genders. The overestimation of chronological age was smaller for TW3RUS than for TW2RUS, and this last system showed a statistically significant difference regarding chronological age over the entire age range for girls, whereas for boys this difference was seen from 132 months onwards. For girls TW3 RUS and Carpal showed a significant difference regarding chronological age in the oldest age groups; in boys TW3RUS did not show a significant difference regarding chronological age. For Carpal, these results were more variable.Conclusion:It seems reasonable to recommend the use of the TW3 system for the studied Brazilian population.

Objetivo: o objetivo deste estudo foi comparar a real variação entre as medidas cefalométricas realizadas em telerradiografias laterais de um mesmo indivíduo, obtidas em posição natural da cabeça (PNC) e na técnica padrão, onde o plano de Frankfurt foi posicionado paralelamente ao solo. Foi realizada a análise facial, comparando as medidas de postura, perfil facial e medidas ântero-posteriores. Metodologia: a amostra foi composta por 50 telerradiografias laterais de indivíduos brasileiros, sendo 25 do gênero feminino e 25 do gênero masculino, com idade média de 21 anos. As medidas cefalométricas avaliadas foram divididas em três campos: 4 medidas de postura, 3 medidas de perfil e 9 medidas ântero-posteriores das bases ósseas. Resultados e Conclusão: para as medidas de postura, não foram encontradas diferenças significativas no grupo feminino, sendo que no grupo masculino foram encontradas diferenças significativas para os planos SN, Frankfurt, e Mandibular em relação à linha vertical verdadeira. Para as medidas ântero-posteriores e de perfil facial, não houve diferenças para ambos os grupos. Houve correlação do plano SN/V (Sela-Násio/Linha vertical verdadeira) com o plano palatino e Plano Horizontal de Frankfurt nas radiografias padrão e PNC, com exceção do grupo masculino nas telerradiografias laterais padrão. Não houve correlação entre o plano da base do crânio SN/V com o plano mandibular em nenhuma das duas posições. ResumoPalavras-chave: Cefalometria. Ortodontia. Radiografia.