The influence of impaction on the rate of third molar mineralisation in male black Africans

Abstract

One of the main criteria used in dental age diagnostics in living adolescents and young adults is assessment of the mineralisation stage of the third molars. In the case of Europid populations, it has been established that impaction status has an influence on the rate of mineralisation of the third molars. In view of this, a study was undertaken to determine whether the chronological process of wisdom tooth mineralisation is dependent upon impaction status in black Africans too. Orthopantomograms (553) of 437 male and 116 female black South Africans with verified birth dates in the age group between 10 and 26 years were studied. Mineralisation stage and impaction status were determined for all third molars. Statistical measures were calculated for the mandibular wisdom teeth at stages F, G and H and for the maxillary wisdom teeth at stage H in the male gender for both impacted and non-impacted third molars. It was ascertained that the minimum age in persons with impacted third molars, depending on the wisdom tooth observed, was 0.19-2.57 years higher than in those with non-impacted wisdom teeth. Test persons with impacted mandibular wisdom teeth at stage F or G were on average between 0.32 and 1.88 years older than those with non-impacted mandibular wisdom teeth. The 50 % probability values of impacted wisdom teeth at stage H were 1.85-3.31 years higher than those in non-impacted wisdom teeth. The conclusion was drawn that in male black Africans, impacted mandibular wisdom teeth mineralise more slowly than non-impacted lower third molars. The presence of impacted mandibular wisdom teeth in mineralisation stage H in male black Africans does not, however, furnish proof of completion of the 18(th) year of life beyond reasonable doubt.

Forensic age estimation in migrants: Where do we stand?

“…As mentioned previously, the Study Group on Forensic Age Diagnostics recommends a dental panoramic X‐Ray to explore the third molar, in addition to the exploration of the hand and wrist, at first. The stage of dental development has to be compared with the results of surveys according to the origin of population (Olze et al, 2004; Olze, Schmeling, Rieger, Kalb, & Geserick, 2003; Olze, van Niekerk, Schulz, Ribbecke, & Schmeling, 2012).…”

“…According to studies (Chaumoitre et al, 2017; Tisè et al, 2011), the table of 19 years corresponds to a mean age of 19.35 years, with a standard deviation of 1.2 year, but with a minimum age of 16.1 years. Stage H in a sub‐Saharan male corresponds to a mean age of 22.80 years with a standard deviation of 2.02 years, but with a minimum age of 17.38 years (Olze et al, 2012). And the Stage 3a in the CT‐scan corresponds to an age between 16.4 and 22.3 years with a mean age of 19.6 years (Wittschieber et al, 2014).…”

Examination of ossification of the distal radial epiphysis using magnetic resonance imaging. New insights for age estimation in young footballers in FIFA tournaments

“…Over the past 20 years, scientific insights gained in the field of age diagnosis in living persons have been mainly inspired in an almost unprecedented manner by the specific requirements of practical forensic work [1][2][3][4][5][6]. However, application of the results of this development is not restricted to conventional medical and legal contexts.…”

Minor migrants’ age estimation: Comparison of two dental methods

“…Several age estimation methods have been proposed [ [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] ]. They usually rely on the correlation between bone/dental maturation and chronological age [ [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] ]. In 2010 AlQahtani and colleagues described an atlas (The London Atlas of Human Tooth Development and Eruption) of tooth development in order to estimate age between 28 weeks intrauterine and 23 years [ 14 ].…”