Application of Kvaal’s Age Estimation Method in Maxillary Central Incisor: A CBCT Study

Abstract

Background: Radiographic dental age estimation methods are viable both for living and deceased people. One such method is the indirect assessment of quantified secondary dentinal deposition through measurements of tooth and pulp. Kvaal, et al., developed a method for chronological age estimation based on pulp size using periapical dental radiographs. There is a need to test this method of age estimation in the Indian population on living individuals not requiring tooth extraction. The current study aimed to assess the applicability of Kvaal’s method in maxillary permanent central incisor using CBCT. Materials and Methods: The study included 185 CBCT images of the individuals, ranging in age from 14 to 64 years. CBCT images were evaluated for the maxillary central incisor and metric measurements were taken from which ratios were derived. Using the ratios, a linear regression equation was derived, from which the age of an individual was predicted. Result and Conclusion: The correlation between the individual ratio and the chronological age was calculated using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The age of the individual was predicted using a linear regression equation with a SEE ranging from 10.05 to 12.78 years. When the samples were divided into various age groups, the Standard Error of Estimate has drastically reduced. The radiographic pulpal morphometric analysis used in present study can be recommended to assess the age of an adult for forensic purposes.