Age estimation is a hot and difficult issue in forensic practice. Teeth are the most solid organs in human body and can be kept in vitro for a long time. With age, the secondary dentin gradually generates and the volume of pulp cavity constantly decreases. Therefore, forensic dentists proposed that age-related changes of dentin-pulp complex could be used to estimate age, which has been widely applied in forensic practice over the years. Due to the development of imaging technology, a variety of methods have been advocated by forensic dentists to detect the age-related changes of dentin-pulp complex for age estimation. However, different methods have their own advantages and limitations, forensic scientists should combine the use of different methods for improving the accuracy of age estimation according to the actual situation. This paper reviews current research of age estimation based on dentin-pulp complex, so as to provide reference for related research.
Age Determination by Teeth ; Dental Pulp ; Dentin ; Forensic Dentistry/methods* ; Humans

The main methods of age estimation at present mostly rely on characteristic physical and chemical changes of skeleton, soft tissue, cells, biomacromolecules and the other substances. Because physiological changes of tissues and organs during growth are extremely complicated, all methods have their limitations. In practical, it is necessary to combine several methods together in order to improve the accuracy of age estimation. This article reviewed recent development on age estimation domestically and abroad and discussed advantage and disadvantage of different methods.
Age Determination by Skeleton ; Age Determination by Teeth ; DNA/genetics* ; Forensic Anthropology/methods* ; Humans

PURPOSE: Demirjian's dental maturity scores and curves have been widely used for human age determination. Several authors have reported considerable differences between the true and estimated age based on the Demirjian curves, which have been accounted for by ethnicity. The purpose of the current study was to assess the role of ethnicity-specific dental maturation curves in age estimation of Saudi children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 452 healthy Saudi children aged 4 to 14 years were aged based on the original French-Canadian Demirjian curves and several modified Demirjian curves specified for certain ethnic groups: Saudi, Kuwaiti, Polish, Dutch, Pakistani, and Belgian. One-way ANOVA and a post hoc Scheffe's test were used to assess the differences between chronological age and dental age estimated by the different curves (P<0.05). RESULTS: The curves designed for Dutch, Polish, Saudi, and Belgian (5th percentile) populations had a significantly lower error in estimating age than the original French-Canadian and Belgian (50th percentile) curves. The optimal curve for males was the Saudi one, with a mean absolute difference between estimated age and chronological age of 8.6 months. For females, the optimal curve was the Polish one, with a mean absolute difference of 7.4 months. It was revealed that accurate age determination was not related to certain ethnicity-specific curves. CONCLUSION: We conclude that ethnicity might play a role in age determination, but not a principal one.
Age Determination by Teeth ; Child* ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Forensic Dentistry ; Humans ; Male ; Radiography, Panoramic

PURPOSE: This study investigated the possible correlation between the mineralization of the second molars and the chronological age of a sample population of the state of Paraiba, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One thousand eight hundred fifty-four digitized panoramic images using a scanner of a private dental radiology service were obtained in six months. Of these, 457 were selected from patients aged 4.6 to 16 years who met certain criteria. The images were assessed twice by a radiologist with 5 years experience. A minimum interval of 30 days between the evaluations of the same patient was established. To analyze the relationship between chronological age, calcification level proposed by Demirjian et al in 1973, gender, and tooth, a multiple linear regression model was adjusted, taking age as the response variable (p<0.05). RESULTS: The gender and calcification level were significantly correlated with the age of the patients (p<0.05). There was a significant difference between the average age of the patients' upper teeth compared to the lower ones in both genders (p<0.05). The dental development occurred earlier in female individuals than in male ones, and there was no significant difference between the right and left second permanent molars. CONCLUSION: It was observed that ethnic variables are related to certain parameters of age and sex identification in the Brazilian population, providing important information for forensic evaluations.
Age Determination by Teeth ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Molar ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Tooth ; Tooth Calcification

Dental identification was conducted on the putative body of a most wanted fugitive who was considered to be the de facto owner of the ferry MV Sewol. Postmortem examination showed many dental characteristics, including gold crowns, a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown, a gold fixed bridge, and resin restorations. The estimated age of the body was approximately 73 years. Antemortem data collected by the fugitive at private dentist showed that 10 teeth had dental features. When the antemortem data on the 10 teeth were compared with the corresponding teeth by using postmortem data, there was no discrepancy in the remaining teeth. The number of possible combinations was calculated, and the likelihood of this fugitive and any other person having the same dental features was one in 14 billion. Using the results of dental examination, the body was successfully identified.
Age Determination by Teeth ; Autopsy ; Crowns ; Dentists ; Denture, Partial, Fixed ; Forensic Dentistry ; Humans ; Tooth

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the stages of calcification of the third molar and age among children in Chengdu.

METHODSThe study subjects consisted of children between 2009 and 2011 at the Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University. Panoramic radiographs were obtained. The stages of calcification of the third molar were analyzed by Demirjian's method. The development of the third molar between the male and female was evaluated by independent samples t-test analysis. The Spearman rank correlation was applied to analyze the stages of calcification of the third molar and chronological age.

RESULTSThe development of the third molar of the male was different from that of the female at stage A of calcification of the third molar(P=0.026). The Spearman rank correlation coefficient revealed highly significant relationships between the stages of calcification of the third molar and chronological age of the three groups (male, r=0.808, P=0.000; female, r= 0.729, P=0.000; all, r=0.760, P=0.000). Furthermore, the linear regression equations were established as follows: Yall= 4.898+2.036X: Ymale=4.987+2.046X; Yfemale=4.819+2.036X.

CONCLUSIONThe stages of calcification of the third molar may be an available indicator in judging chronological age of teenager.

Adolescent ; Age Determination by Teeth ; China ; Female ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Male ; Molar, Third ; Oral Medicine ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Universities

OBJECTIVETo study the validity and reliability of the Demirjian distinguish software on dental age estimation.

METHODThe dental age of 60 children were estimated with both the software three times and manual measures.

RESULTSThe correlation coefficients of dental age estimated by the software and by manual measure was 0.974 (female) (P > 0.1) and 0.970 (male) (P > 0.05); the coefficients of interclass correlation of each dental age estimated by the software was 0.977 (female) (P > 0.1) and 0.977 (male) (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDemirjian distinguish software has high validity and reliability in estimating dental age.

Adolescent ; Age Determination by Teeth ; methods ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Reproducibility of Results ; Software

There have been many radiographic studies on age estimation that evaluate reduction in size of dental pulp cavity with secondary dentin formation. The Paewinsky method reported high accuracy in estimating ages by measuring the width of the pulp cavity in panoramic radiographs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of the Paewinsky method to digital periapical radiographs. This study was conducted on 103 cases that reported to the Section of Human Identification of the National Forensic Service. The age was calculated by applying the Paewinsky method that measures the root and pulp canal width at three points in a tooth. The estimation results were compared with those calculated by the Johanson method. When the Paewinsky models were applied to digital periapical radiographs, the errors were significantly greater as compared to the original study. The errors of the maxillary second premolar and mandibular lateral incisor were greater than those of the maxillary central incisor, lateral incisor, mandibular canine, and first premolar. Furthermore, errors of the age estimation models in level C were greater than those in levels A and B. This study could be a reference for the application of the Paewinsky method to digital periapical radiographs.
Age Determination by Teeth ; Bicuspid ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Dentin, Secondary ; Forensic Anthropology ; Incisor ; Methods ; Radiography, Dental ; Tooth

Teeth are the hardest organs in the human body. They are not easily affected by external physical and chemical factors to degrade or deform. Dental age assessment has been widely used in forensic practice. Dental image is one of the most common methods in the age estimation. The emergence of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) technology provides a new way to obtain three-dimensional image of teeth. It has many advantages such as low-dose radiation, short-time scanning, high-precision image, and finical convenience. Recent development of CBCT technology and its application on age estimation are reviewed in this paper.
Age Determination by Teeth/methods* ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography/trends* ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional

Forensic dentistry is an interdiscipline of forensic medicine and stomatology, which provides legal information by collecting, testing and assessing the dental evidence scientifically. In this review, the present application of forensic dentistry has been described, such as the estimation of age, sex, species, occupation and living habit, as well as the identification of individual, domestic violence or abuse, which aims to enrich and improve forensic dentistry for making it be more useful in forensic medicine even in juridical practice.
Age Determination by Teeth ; Forensic Anthropology ; Forensic Dentistry/methods* ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Tooth