Estimation of dental age and its comparison with chronological age: accuracy of two radiographic methods

Abstract

Despite the favourable result of Willems' method in comparison with Demirjian's method, this study demonstrated a high correlation coefficient between both chronological and obtained dental age, thus confirming their potential applicability in clinical practice and forensic dentistry.

Assessment of Dental Age of Children Aged 3.5 to 16.9 Years Using Demirjian’s Method: A Meta-Analysis Based on 26 Studies

“…The overestimation of dental age varied between 0.78 to 1.97 years for boys (mean 0.35 years), and 0.86 to 1.31 years for girls (mean 0.39 years), indicating that the females may show earlier maturation in dental development than the males. Considering mean differences between estimated dental ages and chronological ages, most authors have also found statistically significant differences of 0.681 years and 0.616 years [26], 0.4 years and 0.6 years [7], 0.3 years and 0.4 years [35], 0.75 years and 0.61 years [4], 0.34 years and 0.25 years [36], 0.66 years and 0.56 years [23] in boys and girls, respectively. Moreover, when a stratified analysis based on ethnicity was conducted, an average overestimation of 0.28 years and 0.38 years were found in Asian and Caucasian boys, and 0.24 years and 0.52 years were found in Asian and Caucasian girls, respectively.…”

Overall Challenges in Age Estimation – From Bones to Teeth

“…30 Dental development is assessed through development and eruption of all teeth. 31 and the third molar is the only parameter of tooth maturation until a later age. 32 Some studies claim that dental development shows less variability than other developmental features 5,31 and proved to have a substantial biological stability from extreme nutritional conditions.…”

Applicability of Willem’s Method of Dental Age Assessment in 14 Years Threshold Children in South India - A Pilot Study

“…A recent study by RB Mohammed et al, conducted among South Indian children who concluded that mean dental age showed significant underestimation of 0.7 ± 1.69 years and 0.11 ± 1.3 years in boys and girls respectively [26]. However a study conducted among North Indian population by Grover et al reported that the method overestimated age of girls and boys by 0.24 and 0.36 years respectively [20].…”

“…Therefore, Ozle et al regarded Demirjian's system to be the best for dental age estimation [23]. However, modified Demirjian's method proposed by Willem's has been tested in various geographic population groups and has shown higher accuracy than Demirjian's method dental age estimation [20,24]. The accuracy of Willem's method can be contributed to its single step calculation from the gender specific chart.…”

“…This modified method calculated the overall maturity score by summing the adapted scores for the seven mandibular teeth which presented the result directly as estimated age of the individual. This modification has been evaluated among various population and has been reported to be more accurate than the original Demirjian's method [20][21][22].…”