Testing the standard method of dental age estimation by demirjian and phillips age related tables on a sudanese arab children sample.

Abstract

The radiological examination of the stages of formation and the progress of the development of teeth represents the one of the most reliable means of assessing chronological age in children. It is also useful in forensic, paediatric and orthodontic dentistry. Aim: The aim of th is study was to test the standard method of the dental age estimation by the Demirjian, Goldstein & Tanner (1973) [DGT] and the Phillips & Kotze (2009a) age related tables on a sample of Sudanese Arab children (SAC), with a mixture of Arab and African genes, aged between 6-16 years, and to investigate which is the most accurate when applied to this specific population group. Methods and Materials: Two hundred and four orthopantomographic (OPG) radiographs of boys and girls (102 of each gender) of Sudanese Arab origin were reviewed retrospectively. All participants were categorized in the age group closest to their real ages. The estimated ages were scored based on the developmental stages of the seven left mandibular teeth for the DGT (1973) method and the eight left mandibular teeth (wisdom tooth) added for the Phillips & Kotze (2009a) age related tables. Results: The DGT (1973) method in general overestimated correct ages of the boys by 2.4 months and that of the girls by 4.2 months. The girls' estimated developmental ages exceeded the boys by 2.8 months. The Phillips & Kotze (2009a) age related table of the Tygerberg children underestimated the correct ages of the boys sample by 0.96 month and overestimated the correct ages of the girls by 2.5 months. The girls estimated developmental ages exceeded the boys by approximately 3.5 months. The Phillips & Kotze (2009a) age related table of the Republic South African (RSA) for Indian children overestimated the boys correct ages by 5.16 months and the girls by 7 months. The girls estimated developmental ages exceeded the boys by 1.8 months. The Phillips & Kotze (2009a) age related table of African (Nguni) overestimated the correct ages of the boys by 2.16 months and the girls by 5.2 months, the girls estimated developmental ages exceeded the boys by 2.8 months.