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Chronology of mineralization of the permanent mandibular second molar teeth and forensic age estimation

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Abstract

Forensic age estimation frequently relies upon the chronology of mineralization of the third molar teeth. However, even when present, third molar teeth cannot always be used for estimating age in people who are classified as minors. Seconds molars develop earlier and in a more predictable way, and therefore are often more reliable for age estimation in this age group. This study aims to contribute to forensic age estimation using an age threshold of 14-years, studying the stages of development of permanent mandibular second molar teeth mineralization. 367 orthopantograms of a Portuguese population group, aged between 3 and 19 years, were studied. The stages of mineralization of mandibular permanent second molar teeth were studied following the classification stages proposed by Demirjian et al. Stage descriptive analysis was performed, and associations between age and stage were studied. A logistic regression to determine age over 14 years, using maturation stages and sex as a predictive variables, was made. A second sample was used for testing the model. The significance level was set at 5%. The model correctly classified 92.0% of cases overall. The equation was tested in the second sample, and the results showed that there were no statistical significant differences between the binary real age (i.e. age < 14 and age ≥ 14 years) and the estimated age (p = 0.109). The developed model is useful for age estimation using 14-years as a threshold. However, stage maturation analyses showed that stage F, in males, and stages G and H, in both sexes, lead to an estimated age with significant statistical differences from chronological age.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Medicina Dentária da Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Manuel Pereira da Silva, 4200-393, Porto, Portugal

    Pedro Fins, Maria Lurdes Pereira, Américo Afonso & Inês Morais Caldas

  2. ISPUP – EPIUNit – Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, 4050-600, Porto, Portugal

    Maria Lurdes Pereira

  3. IINFACTS - Institute of Research and Advanced Training in Health Sciences, Department of Sciences, CESPU, University Institute of Health Sciences (IUCS), Gandra, Portugal

    Américo Afonso, Daniel Pérez-Mongiovi & Inês Morais Caldas

  4. CENCIFOR – Centre of Forensic Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-213, Coimbra, Portugal

    Américo Afonso & Inês Morais Caldas

  5. CFE – Centre of Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra, 3000-213, Coimbra, Portugal

    Inês Morais Caldas

Authors
  1. Pedro Fins
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  2. Maria Lurdes Pereira
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  3. Américo Afonso
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  5. Inês Morais Caldas
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Correspondence to Inês Morais Caldas.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. No informed consent was obtained since this was a retrospective study based on anonymized clinical records.

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Fins, P., Pereira, M.L., Afonso, A. et al. Chronology of mineralization of the permanent mandibular second molar teeth and forensic age estimation. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 13, 272–277 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-017-9876-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-017-9876-3

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