Title 

Age Estimation From Radiographic Evaluation of Various Developmental Stages of Maxillary Third Molars and its Associated Gender Variation.

Authors 

J Ramkumar, R Ganesh, N Naveen

Abstract 

Background: Forensic age assessment in living subjects has become increasingly important over the last few years in both civil and criminal cases, especially in the age group between 14 and 21 years. Two methods of age evaluation are available for juveniles in this age group: the radiologic examination of skeletal features and radiologic examination of the development of third molars. Aims: To evaluate the development of third molars in relation to chronological age and to assess the influence of gender on the development of third molar. Materials and Methods: Total of 66 outpatients were a part of this prospective study done between November 2013 to May 2015, for a period of 19 months. The development of the third molars in both the right and left quadrants of the maxillary region of the patients between age group of 15 to 25 years were assessed by taking intra-oral peri-apical radio-graphs. Conclusion: From this study one can be reasonably confident that the subject has not attained the age 18 years if the root development of third molar is between stage 1 to 4 and the developmental stage 7 indicates that the subject has attained the age 18 years.

 Keywords

Third Molar, Intra-oral peri-apical radio-graphs, Age, Development stages, Sex.

 DOI