Dental age estimation in children and adolescents

Abstract

Age is estimated on basis of chronological age and bone age, dental age, mental age, and others. Dental age is considered to be vital as tooth development shows less variability than other developmental features and also low variability in relation to chronological age so, it is considered to be vital in establishing the age of an individual. Every person of all ages whether they are neonate, adults, or adolescent got right to be identified during death or when they are alive, and with the help of forensic odontology now it has become easier to estimate the age in very less time by various methods. However, different methods are associated with varying degrees of uncertainty and precision. From a statistical-methodological point of view, a combination of different measurement methods and a more conscious use of the relevant statistical methodology may provide more reliable estimates and better quantification. This review will deal with various aspects of age estimation such as morphological, biochemical, and radiographical methods and its scope and limitation.