NCJ Number
141742
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 38 Issue: 2 Dated: (March 1993) Pages: 379-390
Date Published
1993
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Data collected on caucasians living in the U.S. and Canada were examined by the American Board of Odontology to evaluate the accuracy of estimating chronological age from the developmental status of third molars as viewed radiographically.
Abstract
The total sample consisted of 823 cases. Subjects' age at examination ranged from 14.1 to 24.9 years; 74 percent of the records were panoramic radiographs, the others were periapical films. The sample was nearly evenly divided between males and females, but 80 percent were white, 19 percent black, and 1 percent from another ethnic group or unidentified. The results showed that maxillary third molar formation was slightly advanced over mandibular third molars, and root formation occurred earlier in males than females. The Board tabulated mean and median ages for third molar formation using an eighth- grade classification. The third molar is not an ideal developmental marker because it is frequently congenitally absent, malformed, impacted, or extracted. It is also the most variable tooth in terms of size, time of formation, and time of eruption. Despite the drawbacks of using the third molar as a marker, there are situations where its formation is the only usable datum for age estimation. 3 figures, 5 tables, and 56 references