Forensic odontology: an analysis of the developing dentition using radiographic orthopantomograms for forensic age estimation in sub-adult individuals

[Truncated abstract] Forensic age estimation of sub-adult individuals (<18 years of age) is typically performed using the developing dentition, and researchers including Demirjian et al. (1973) created four dental development methods: the original 7-tooth technique, the revised 7-tooth system, the 4-tooth method and an alternate 4-tooth incisor approach. The data analyzed in this thesis were derived from a series of digitally scanned orthopantomograms (OPGs); classified according to Demirjian’s eight stages of dental development. These methods calculate a dental maturity score based on stages of tooth mineralization. Dental maturity scores were then converted to an estimated age, using a conversion chart or dental maturity percentile curve (depending on the method). Farah et al.’s (1999) previous study which included 1450 Western Australian sub-adults was compared to a smaller sample of Western Australian individuals (n = 144; aged 3.6 to 14.5 years) in order to determine if studies comprising smaller samples could be utilized for forensic age estimation in the Western Australian population. In addition, a sample of Western Australian (n =142) and South Australian sub-adults (n = 408) aged 4.9 to 14.5 years, were analyzed in order to establish the comparative accuracy of all four Demirjian’s methods in different subsets of the Australian population, and to determine if different subsets yield different results. Several standard growth curves based on different models were created for the Western Australian (n = 142), South Australian (n = 408), and pooled sample (n = 550), in order to examine the relationship between dental maturity scores and chronological age.