DENTAL AGE ESTIMATION USING THE RADIOGRAPHIC VISIBILITY OF PERIODONTAL LIGAMENT AROUND LOWER THIRD MOLARS AMONG SELECTED NIGERIANS.

BACKGROUND: Age estimation for sporting activities, legal age determination and migration purpose is oftentimes essential, which makes the need for a scientifically proven method of age estimation an important aspect of medical practice. Forensic odontology is an essential aspect of forensic practice and may be a veritable tool in age estimation.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of orthopantomograms (OPG) in age estimation among selected Nigerians.

METHODOLOGY: A retrospective assessment of 202 OPGs was done to review the visibility of the periodontal ligament of third molars with completed root formation according to the methods described by Olze et al (2010). Individual ages were then calculated by deducting date of exposure from the date of birth recorded in years. Mean age with standard deviation were calculated for each group.

RESULTS: Assessing the minimum and maximum age at which each of the stages of the radiographic visibility of the periodontal ligament as seen on the OPGs revealed that there was a gradual increase in the age at which the stage increment occurred, with a few exceptions. Comparison of the radiographic visibility of the periodontal ligament revealed that males tend to achieve early periodontal visibility stages compared to females, but the reverse was observed in later stages. Age 17 is more than likely attained in any person found within stages 1 to 3 as the minimum age found in these stages were above 17 years.

CONCLUSION: With a few exceptions, the assessment of periodontal ligament visibility on OPGs can adequately predict the age of individuals. Thus, the use of this method may need to be combined with other methods in accurate determination of dental age in instances of forensic age estimation.