NCJ Number
195922
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 47 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2002 Pages: 531-535
Date Published
2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article reports on a study of age estimation of Hispanics that utilizes the development of the third molar as an indicator of chronological age.
Abstract
The authors explain that determining the chronological age of persons over the age of 14 through inspection of their tooth development becomes difficult because most of the dentition is completely developed at this age. However, it is possible to estimate age based on the development of the third molar. This article seeks to evaluate the accuracy of determining the chronological age of Hispanics using stages of third molar development that was previously proposed by a group of researchers led by Demirjian. The authors explain that this research is relevant given the increasing population of Hispanics in the United States and the fact that many may have falsified documents that obscure their true age. The panoramic radiographs from 679 Hispanics of known age were inspected with attention given to the schematic definitions of crown and root formation. This study followed the protocol of the study conducted by the research team led by Demirjian. The results showed that third molar development occurred earlier in Hispanic males compared to Hispanic females. The difference between chronological age and estimated age in this study was 3.0 for year for Hispanic females and 2.6 years for Hispanic males. The authors conclude that third molar development is a useful tool for age estimation in populations over 18 years since there is no better indicator of age. The authors suggest that future research should focus on whether the use of periapical radiographs will improve the accuracy of age estimation when evaluating maxillary third molars. 7 Tables, 20 references