Modified Anderson?s Method Age Estimation Using Mandibular Left and Right Third Molar in South Indian Population
Author(s): Yoshita Guntupalli and Abirami Arthanari*
Abstract
Introduction: Age estimation plays an important role in the field of forensics not only in postmortem age determination for individual identification but also for identification of live individuals in case if immigration issues, criminal identification, etc. Teeth are vital pieces of evidence in several such investigations as they are preserved in the closed oral cavity and are hence highly resistant to any subjected changes, thus making them very useful in analysis. Aim: The aim of our study is to determine the accuracy of age estimation using modified Anderson’s method for the teeth 38 and 48 in both males and females and compare them. Materials and Methods: 100 OPGs were collected - 50 male and 50 female from the age group 10-20 years and the teeth 38 and 48 were compared with the images in Anderson's chart and numbered according to the stage they were found to be in. The chronological age was also noted. The estimated age of male and female of 38 is compared and similarly the estimated age of male and female of 48 is compared. The mean, standard deviation and standard deviation error of the data were obtained. Results: The mean of 38 staging for males is 7.34 and that for females is 6.64 while the mean of staging of 48 for males is 7.40 while for females it is 6.72. P value was found to be less than 0.05 and hence significance was found to be present between 38 for males and females. Conclusion: Hence the modified Anderson’s method of age estimation was used for age determination of OPGs. It was found that males had higher dental maturity from the age group 18-18.9. Not much difference was seen between the ages males and females in the age group 12-12.9 and 14-14.9.