Dental Age Estimation of 6-14-Year-Old Guilanian Children Using Demirjian’s Method

Abstract

Background: Developing teeth may be evaluated based on the degree of tooth development or the stage of tooth eruption. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the accuracy of Demirjian’s method for dental age estimation in a group of Guilanian children. Methods: Panoramic radiographs of 390 Guilanian children aged 6 - 14 years were analyzed based on Demirjian’s method. Dental age was compared with chronological age using a paired t-test. The difference between the estimated age and chronological age was examined by Mann Whitney test in males and females. Results: The mean difference between the dental age and chronological age was 0.84 in females and 0.82 in males (about 8 months). The difference in this regard between males and females was not significant. The difference between the chronological and dental age was significant in all age groups except for 13 - 13.99 years old. Conclusions: Demirjian’s method may not be accurate enough for dental age estimation of Guilanian children and specific standards for dental age assessment should be developed for this population.