Forensic age estimation in living subjects: the ethnic factor in wisdom tooth mineralization.
Radiological assessment of the mineralization stage of third molars is a major criterion for age estimation of living people involved in criminal proceedings. To date insufficient knowledge has been obtained about how the ethnic origin can influence tooth mineralization. A comparative study of wisdom tooth mineralization was carried out on three population samples: one German, one Japanese and one South African. To this end, 3,652 conventional orthopantomograms were evaluated on the basis of Demirjian's stages. The Japanese subjects were on average 1-2 years older than their German counterparts upon reaching stages D-F, whereas the South African subjects were on average 1-2 years younger than the Germans when displaying stages D-G. To enhance the accuracy of forensic age estimates based on wisdom tooth mineralization we recommend the use of population-specific standards.
Olze
Andreas
A
Institute of Legal Medicine (Charité), Humboldt University of Berlin, Hannoversche Strasse 6, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
Schmeling
Andreas
A
Taniguchi
Mari
M
Maeda
Hitoshi
H
van Niekerk
Piet
P
Wernecke
Klaus-Dieter
KD
Geserick
Gunther
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth / Q000379:methods*; D000367:Age Factors; D044466:Asian People; D044383:Black People; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005553:Forensic Dentistry / Q000379:methods; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*; D013019:South Africa; D014074:Tooth Calcification; D044465:White People