title: Dental age estimation in living individuals using 3.0 T MRI of lower third molars.
abstract: In order to increase the validity of age estimation in adolescents and young adults when there is no legitimation for X-ray examinations, it seems desirable to be able to assess the mineralization of third molars using X-ray-free imaging procedures. In the present study, the mineralization stages of lower third molars were determined prospectively in 269 male and 248 female individuals aged 12 to 24 years using 3.0 T MRI. The classification system of Demirjian et al. was used to determine the stages. This study presents the minima and maxima, means and standard deviations, median values, and lower and upper quartiles separately for both sexes, for the mineralization stages B-H. Statistically significant sex differences were observed for the mineralization stages C, E, F, and G, and a faster developmental rate was observed for males. It was concluded that magnetic resonance imaging is an X-ray-free alternative to orthopantomography when assessing mineralization of third molars.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.|College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 98 Xiwu Road, Xi'an, 710004, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.|Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstraße 23, 48149, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Yucheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Turmstraße 21, 10559, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olze
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ottow
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstraße 23, 48149, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstraße 23, 48149, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Heindel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstraße 23, 48149, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, Hospital Ibbenbüren, Große Straße 4, 49477, Ibbenbüren, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vieth
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstraße 23, 48149, Münster, Germany. andreas.schmeling@ukmuenster.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmeling
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005553:Forensic Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014074:Tooth Calcification; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Age estimation; MRI; Mineralization; Third molars