Radiographic Evaluation of Third Molar Development in 6- to 24-year-olds

Overview

Journal Imaging Sci Dent

Specialty Radiology

Date 2014 Oct 4

PMID 25279338

Citations 24

Authors

Yun-Hoa Jung

Bong-Hae Cho

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the developmental stages of third molars in relation to chronological age and compared third molar development according to location and gender.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis of panoramic radiographs of 2490 patients aged between 6 and 24 years was conducted, and the developmental stages of the third molars were evaluated using the modified Demirjian's classification. The mean age, standard deviation, minimal and maximal age, and percentile distributions were recorded for each stage of development. A Mann-Whitney U test was performed to test the developmental differences in the third molars between the maxillary and mandibular arches and between genders. A linear regression analysis was used for assessing the correlation between the third molar development and chronological age.

Results: The developmental stages of the third molars were more advanced in the maxillary arch than the mandibular arch. Males reached the developmental stages earlier than females. The average age of the initial mineralization of the third molars was 8.57 years, and the average age at apex closure was 21.96 years. The mean age of crown completion was 14.52 and 15.04 years for the maxillary and the mandibular third molars, respectively.

Conclusion: The developmental stages of the third molars clearly showed a strong correlation with age. The third molars developed earlier in the upper arch than the lower arch; further, they developed earlier in males than in females.

Citing Articles

Agenesis of third molar among the younger population of India born in twenty first century.

Jadhav A, Shaikh S, Shushma G Natl J Maxillofac Surg. 2024; 15(2):302-306.

PMID: 39234142 PMC: 11371298. DOI: 10.4103/njms.njms_162_22.

Correlations of spheno-occipital synchondrosis, cervical vertebrae, midpalatal suture, and third molar maturation stages.

Booth E, Viana G, Shirazi S, Miller S, Sellke T, Elnagar M Angle Orthod. 2024; 94(6):641-647.

PMID: 39195344 PMC: 11493427. DOI: 10.2319/041224-295.1.

Age Estimation of Children and Young Adults of Jharkhand Using Mineralization of Third Molars and Its Relation to Chronological Age: A Retrospective Analysis.

Sharma S, Garg N, Gupta P, Naik S, Roy S, Anand A Cureus. 2024; 16(5):e60431.

PMID: 38883012 PMC: 11179843. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60431.

From Pluripotent Stem Cells to Organoids and Bioprinting: Recent Advances in Dental Epithelium and Ameloblast Models to Study Tooth Biology and Regeneration.

Hermans F, Hasevoets S, Vankelecom H, Bronckaers A, Lambrichts I Stem Cell Rev Rep. 2024; 20(5):1184-1199.

PMID: 38498295 PMC: 11222197. DOI: 10.1007/s12015-024-10702-w.

Assessment of the mineralisation stages of third molars and validation of Mincer .'s age estimation method: A retrospective, cross-sectional study in Western India population.

Pillai J, Dodia V, Monpara P, Shah K, Odedra S J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2024; 27(4):748-753.

PMID: 38304502 PMC: 10829434. DOI: 10.4103/jomfp.jomfp_292_23.

References

Kasper K, Austin D, Kvanli A, Rios T, Senn D . Reliability of third molar development for age estimation in a Texas Hispanic population: a comparison study. J Forensic Sci. 2009; 54(3):651-7. DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01031.x. View

Thevissen P, Alqerban A, Asaumi J, Kahveci F, Kaur J, Kim Y . Human dental age estimation using third molar developmental stages: Accuracy of age predictions not using country specific information. Forensic Sci Int. 2010; 201(1-3):106-11. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.04.040. View

Gunst K, Mesotten K, Carbonez A, Willems G . Third molar root development in relation to chronological age: a large sample sized retrospective study. Forensic Sci Int. 2003; 136(1-3):52-7. DOI: 10.1016/s0379-0738(03)00263-9. View

Lee S, Lee J, Park H, Kim Y . Development of third molars in Korean juveniles and adolescents. Forensic Sci Int. 2009; 188(1-3):107-11. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2009.03.033. View

Demirjian A, Goldstein H, Tanner J . A new system of dental age assessment. Hum Biol. 1973; 45(2):211-27. View

Olze A, Bilang D, Schmidt S, Wernecke K, Geserick G, Schmeling A . Validation of common classification systems for assessing the mineralization of third molars. Int J Legal Med. 2004; 119(1):22-6. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-004-0489-5. View

Bassed R, Briggs C, Drummer O . Age estimation and the developing third molar tooth: an analysis of an Australian population using computed tomography. J Forensic Sci. 2011; 56(5):1185-91. DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01769.x. View

Dhanjal K, Bhardwaj M, Liversidge H . Reproducibility of radiographic stage assessment of third molars. Forensic Sci Int. 2006; 159 Suppl 1:S74-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.02.020. View

Olze A, Taniguchi M, Schmeling A, Zhu B, Yamada Y, Maeda H . Studies on the chronology of third molar mineralization in a Japanese population. Leg Med (Tokyo). 2004; 6(2):73-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2003.09.005. View

10.

Olze A, Taniguchi M, Schmeling A, Zhu B, Yamada Y, Maeda H . Comparative study on the chronology of third molar mineralization in a Japanese and a German population. Leg Med (Tokyo). 2003; 5 Suppl 1:S256-60. DOI: 10.1016/s1344-6223(02)00143-8. View

11.

Kurita L, Menezes A, Casanova M, Haiter-Neto F . Dental maturity as an indicator of chronological age: radiographic assessment of dental age in a Brazilian population. J Appl Oral Sci. 2008; 15(2):99-104. PMC: 4327238. DOI: 10.1590/s1678-77572007000200005. View

12.

Johan N, Khamis M, Abdul Jamal N, Ahmad B, Mahanani E . The variability of lower third molar development in Northeast Malaysian population with application to age estimation. J Forensic Odontostomatol. 2012; 30(1):45-54. PMC: 5734847. View

13.

Thevissen P, Pittayapat P, Fieuws S, Willems G . Estimating age of majority on third molars developmental stages in young adults from Thailand using a modified scoring technique. J Forensic Sci. 2009; 54(2):428-32. DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00961.x. View

14.

Solari A, Abramovitch K . The accuracy and precision of third molar development as an indicator of chronological age in Hispanics. J Forensic Sci. 2002; 47(3):531-5. View

15.

Olze A, van Niekerk P, Schmidt S, Wernecke K, Rosing F, Geserick G . Studies on the progress of third-molar mineralisation in a Black African population. Homo. 2006; 57(3):209-17. DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2004.08.003. View

16.

Sisman Y, Uysal T, Yagmur F, Ramoglu S . Third-molar development in relation to chronologic age in Turkish children and young adults. Angle Orthod. 2007; 77(6):1040-5. DOI: 10.2319/101906-430.1. View

17.

Almeida M, Anjos Pontual A, Beltrao R, Beltrao R, Pontual M . The chronology of second molar development in Brazilians and its application to forensic age estimation. Imaging Sci Dent. 2013; 43(1):1-6. PMC: 3604365. DOI: 10.5624/isd.2013.43.1.1. View

18.

Willershausen B, Loffler N, Schulze R . Analysis of 1202 orthopantograms to evaluate the potential of forensic age determination based on third molar developmental stages. Eur J Med Res. 2001; 6(9):377-84. View

19.

Martin-de las Heras S, Garcia-Fortea P, Ortega A, Zodocovich S, Valenzuela A . Third molar development according to chronological age in populations from Spanish and Magrebian origin. Forensic Sci Int. 2007; 174(1):47-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2007.03.009. View

20.

Jafari A, Mohebbi S, Khami M, Shahabi M, Naseh M, Elhami F . Radiographic evaluation of third molar development in 5- to 25 year olds in tehran, iran. J Dent (Tehran). 2012; 9(2):107-15. PMC: 3466764. View