Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

Human dentition starts to erupt from age 6 months to 2 years with appearance of temporary teeth followed by appearance of permanent set of teeth from 5 to 25 years. The assessment of age in school going children aged 12–14 years by clinical eruption of 2molar teeth is very important in medico-legal work and comes up frequently in connection with the questions of criminal responsibility, rape, kidnapping, child labor, etc.

The subject for the present study were selected by random sampling and consists of 50 boys and 50 girls, studying in 7^th to 10^th standard in various higher secondary schools of Chennai city and were broadly classified in the 2 groups of equal strength and equal male to female ratio. The oral cavity was examined with the help of a torch light, mouth mirror, probe and a tongue depressor. For the conduction of the study, a proforma was devised to collect all relevant information like age, sex, socio-economic status, diet, habits, etc. from the subject. Dental charting was done as per the Federation Dentaire Internationale system (F.D.I). The subjects were also classified after assessing their socio-economic status as per the Modified B.G. Prasad classification for the year 2008.

In age group 12–13 years, more than 40% of the children had more or the other 2-molar teeth not erupted whereas their countersex had 2molar in stage 2 or 3. In age group 13–14 years the contrast in eruption stages between male and female was blurred. The dental eruption is quite earlier in females than males and the 2molars of the lower jaw appear earlier than the upper jaw. However there is no significant difference in eruption of 2 molars of the right and left side in the same jaw.