Quratulain Tariq, Mariam Ajmal Tareen, Iftikhar Uddin, Umar Hussain.
Radiographic Employment of Mandibular Third-Molar Mineralisation to Estimate Chronological age in a Population of Peshawar, Pakistan.
J Pak Dent Assoc Jan ;30(1):39-44.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the correlation between chronological age (CA) and mandibular third molar (MTM) development in a sample of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) population. Furthermore, to provide forensic reference data for age determination from MTM mineralisation. Finally, to derive regression formulae specific to this population to estimate age using MTM calcification stages. METHODOLOGY: Four hundred and seventy orthopantomographs (OPGs) of patients aged between 13-26 years from the Orthodontics department archive at the main tertiary dental hospital of KP were studied for development of MTM staging using Demirjian`s method. Spearman`s Correlation was applied to determine any relationship between CA and MTM development. An Independent two-sample t-test was performed to compare third-molar development in males and females. Population-specific models was developed using quantile regression analysis. RESULTS: A strong positive correlation was found between CA and MTM development (rs = 0.853; p- <0.001). The median quantile regression equation developed for entire sample is: Age = 8.8+ 1.4(developmental stage). Ninety-four percent of males and females at stage H were at least 18 years or older. CONCLUSION: Mandibular third-molars can be an appropriate guide for CA estimation in the KP population. Stage H is likely to occur at 18 years of age. This may be valuable for medicolegal suits requiring CA estimation.

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