Accuracy of estimating age from eruption levels of mandibular teeth

Abstract

Little is documented on the accuracy of estimating age from alveolar eruption (AE) or partial eruption (PE). The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of age estimation from eruption levels. Methods tested were Gleiser and Hunt (1955), Garn et al. (1958), Ando et al. (1965), Haavikko (1970) and clinical eruption from Smith et al. (1998). The sample was 946 panoramic dental radiographs from children aged 3-16 years. Left mandibular teeth (excluding third molar) were assessed for eruption level (AE and PE) and root quarters. Methods, teeth and eruption levels were deemed to be accurate if the average difference between estimated and chronological ages was not significant to zero using a t-test (P>0.05). Results show that early erupting permanent teeth were fairly good at estimating age, although there was considerable age variation in eruption. Haavikko incisors and molars at AE and Haavikko and Smith central incisor and second molar at PE estimated age accurately. Root stage of erupting teeth estimated age more accurately than eruption level using Haavikko. These findings suggest that erupting permanent mandibular teeth can be helpful in estimating age.