1Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Darshan Dental College & Hospital, Udaipur
2Postgraduate student, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Darshan Dental College & Hospital, Udaipur
3Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Darshan Dental College & Hospital, Udaipur
4Reader, Krishnadevaraya college of dental sciences, MVIT campus, via yelahanka, Bangalore.
*ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Dr. Kapil Karwasra Postgraduate student, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Darshan Dental College & Hospital, Udaipur, Rajasthan. Cell: +91-9461311086; Email: kapilk02@yahoo.com
Online published on 23 April, 2014.
AIM: Age estimation is not only important for clinical but also for civil, criminal, forensic and anthropologic purposes. Radiographs depicting third molars (M3s) have been used to estimate chronological age in juvenile and adult suspects, but accuracy of the method has been in question. This study provides age benchmarks for north Indian peoples.
METHODS: In this study, 120 panoramic radiographs at a known chronological age between 10 and 25 years were assembled. Total number 434 third molars were evaluated on all 120 orthopantomograms. All these third molars were studied and the stages of third molar development were scored using Demirjian‘s eight grade classification.
RESULTS: Maxillary M3s formation was slightly advanced over mandibular M3s, and root formation occurred earlier in males than females. Mean and median ages for M3 formation were tabled using Demirjian's eight-grade classification. Regression formulas and empirical probabilities were provided for predicting age.
CONCLUSIONS: The M3 is the most variable tooth in the dentition, but situations arise where M3 formation is the only usable datum for age estimation so M3 formation can be use for age estimation to age group of late teens and early 20s.
Tooth formation, Age determination, Third Molars, Odontology, Dental age
