Evaluation of the relationship of different dental and bone age esti̇mati̇on methods with chronological age in children between 5-15 years in the western mediterranean region

Objective: The purpose of our study is to evaluate the compatibility of five different age estimation methods (Willems, Nolla, Cameriere dental and bone age estimation methods and Greulich-Pyle Atlas) with chronological age and to investigate their relationship with pubertal growth curve in healthy children aged 5-15 in the Western Mediterranean Region. Method: 800 children (400 girls, 400 boys) aged 5-15 years were included in our study. The children were divided into 10 groups equally according to age. Dental age was estimated using panoramic radiographs in children aged 5-15 years with 3 different methods (Willems, Nolla and Cameriere methods), bone age were estimated by using 2 different methods (Greulich-Pyle Atlas and Cameriere method) on hand-wrist radiographs in children aged 10-15 and additionally pubertal growth stages were defined. The calculations made were compared with the chronological age and its relationship with the pubertal stage was evaluated. Results: When all children included in the study were evaluated without gender discrimination, Willems method predicted the dental age with the difference of 0.035, Nolla method 0.030 and Cameriere dental age estimation method 0.322 years less by chronological age in children between the ages of 5-15 and this difference was found to be statistically significant only for the Cameriere method (p=0.0001). In children between the ages of 10-15, Willems method 0.09, Nolla method 0.21, Cameriere dental age estimation method -0.61, Greulich-Pyle Atlas 0.28 and Cameriere's bone age estimation method showed mean estimation error of 0.14 years. This difference was found to be statistically significant for the other four methods except Willems method (p<0.05). When the methods in our study were examined separately according to the pubertal growth periods, it was determined that all other methods except the Willems method showed a statistically significant difference with chronological age in all pubertal periods. It was observed that all methods gave the closest result according to chronological age in the pre-peak period. Conclusion: According to our study results, it was found that Willems and Nolla methods for age estimation in children between the ages of 5-15 gave closer results to chronological age. When the relationship between peak periods and age estimation was evaluated, it was revealed that the closest results according to chronological age were obtained in the pre-peak period.