Age determination by demirjian method in maxillary and mandibular third molar teeth on CONE-BEAM computed tomography images

In this study it was aimed to estimate chronological age by evaluating development process of the third molars via the Demirjian Method on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images in the Turkish subpopulation. The developmental stages of the third molar teeth in the maxilla and the mandible of 453 individuals aged between 9-26 years were evaluated in eight stages from A to H. The relationship of these 8 stages with the chronological age was analyzed statistically and the distribution of the stages according to the age of 18, which is accepted as the threshold value in the study, was examined. Intra-observer reliability was examined by Kappa test. Independent samples t-test was used to compare the ages of developmental stages between genders. Age differences between the developmental stages were examined with the One-Way ANOVA model, and the stages with significant differences were determined by the Tukey post-hoc test. Statistical significance was considered as p< 0.05. There was no significant difference in the mean age at which developmental stages (A-H) were seen between genders (p>0,05). While the A stage, was observed up to the age of 15 in females and 14 in males; the H stage, in which the root formation is completed, was observed at the age of 16 at the earliest in both genders. The stages of A and B were not seen in 18 and over years old. In the Turkish subpopulation, the age range of individuals can be estimated by examining the development of third molars according to the Demirjian Method on CBCT images. However, further studies in different populations with larger samples are needed to support the results of this study. Keywords: Age Estimation CBCT, Third Molar Teeth, Demirjian Method