Dental age estimation from the developmental stage of the third molars in western Chinese population

• Published in: Forensic science international Vol. 219; no. 1; pp. 158 - 164
• Main Authors: Li, Guo, Ren, Jiayin, Zhao, Shuping, Liu, Yuanyuan, Li, Na, Wu, Wanhong, Yuan, Shanshan, Wang, Hu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ireland Ltd 10-06-2012; Elsevier; Elsevier Sequoia S.A; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; Age; Age determination; Age Determination by Teeth - methods; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; China; Criminal liability; Demirjian's method; Dental age estimation; Female; Females; Forensic Dentistry; Forensic medicine; Forensic odontology; Forensic radiography; Forensic science; Forensic sciences; Gender; Gender differences; General aspects; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Males; Medical sciences; Mineralization; Molar, Third - diagnostic imaging; Molar, Third - growth & development; Pathology; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Radiographs; Radiography, Panoramic; Sex Characteristics; Studies; Teenagers; Teeth; Third molar; Tooth Calcification; Western Chinese population; Young Adult; Young adults; Asia; China; Dental age estimation; Western Chinese population; Demirjian's method; Third molar; Human; Age estimation; Methodology; Forensic science; Legal medicine; Forensic aspect; Method; Third molar tooth; Forensic odontology; Developmental stage; Tooth; Technique
• ISSN: 0379-0738; 1872-6283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2011.12.015

Abstract The purpose of this study is to provide reference data about estimating dental age from third molars of the western Chinese population for comparing with other populations and being applied to the age estimation of western Chinese juveniles and adolescents. A total of 2078 digital panoramic radiographs of 989 male and 1089 female Chinese subjects aged between 5 and 23 years were examined. The mineralization status of the third molars was assessed using the formation stages described by Demirjian et al. with two modifications. The results showed that the development of third molars in the western Chinese population was likely to begin at age 5 in both males and females. The third molars 28 and 48 showed significantly higher frequency in females than in males. The third molars 18 in the stage 1, 38 in the stages 1, A and G, and 48 in the stage H showed significantly older average age in females than in males. The Demirjian's stages C and D could be used as a reference stage to determine dichotomously whether a western Chinese is more likely to be under or above age 14 or 16, respectively. This study provided reference data for the age estimation of western Chinese juveniles and adolescents by the mineralization stages of the third molar. Apart from forensic age determination in living subjects, the presented reference data can also be used for age estimations of unidentified corpses and skeletons.