Comparison of methods for estimating dental age in human identification

Abstract

Introduction: Radiographic dental estimation is important in the processes of identification and evaluation of chronological age in living minors without an available date of birth. Objective: Compare two methods for estimating dental age for human identification. Methodology: Cross-sectional, retrospective study, in orthopantomograms of subjects between 3 to 15 years of age, who met the inclusion criteria, the stages of maturation were evaluated with the Demirjian and Nolla method. Chronological age was obtained from records and the accuracy of each method was determined. Results: 568 radiographs were included (268 boys and 300 girls) with Chronological Age (CE) of 10.1 ± 2.6 years. The Dental Age (DE) obtained by the Demirjian method was 10.9 ± 2.9 years; and that calculated by Nolla was 9.7 ± 3.2 years. Using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Shapiro-Wilk and Wilcoxon tests (p<0.05); It was found that the total sample presented an overestimation of the ED with the Demirjian method of -0.8 ± 1.4; and that with the Nolla method it presented an underestimation of ED of 0.4 ± 1.5. Both methods presented significant differences with respect to EC (p<0.001). There were no significant differences in ED between sexes using both methods (p>0.05. Conclusions: In Forensic Science, it is necessary that the methods provide an estimated age as close to the real age as the civil or criminal treatment of the individual depends on it.