title: Accuracy of methods of age estimation in predicting dental age of preadolescents in South Indian children.
abstract: Age estimation in forensic context is of prime importance for criminal, civil and administrative laws. The objective of this study is to test the accuracy of 3 methods of age estimation in South Indian children (preadolescents) aged between 7 and 15 years. It is a retrospective study of orthopantamograms (OPGs) of 150 children among which 79 were boys and 71 were girls. Cameriere's, Willems and Acharya's age estimation methods were used to predict chronological age. Paired t-test was used to compare all data and relationships between continuous variables were examined using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The Cameriere's method Underestimated the real age by -0.62 years in boys and -0.54 years in girls. Both Willems and Acharya's methods overestimated age in both sexes by 0.41, 0.18 years and 0.41, 0.47 years respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Odontology, Panineeya Mahavidyalaya Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Center, Road No. 5, Kamala Nagar, Dilsukhnagar, 500060, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Electronic address: forensics.sudheer@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sudheer B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Balla
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Panineeya Mahavidyalaya Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Center, Hyderabad, India. Electronic address: dr.venkatbaghirath@gmail.com.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Venkat Baghirath
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Panineeya Mahavidyalaya Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Center, Hyderabad, India. Electronic address: dr.harivinay@gmail.com.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hari Vinay
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Panineeya Mahavidyalaya Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Center, Hyderabad, India. Electronic address: jvkumar01@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vijay Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine & Radiology, Panineeya Mahavidyalaya Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Center, Hyderabad, India. Electronic address: drgandhidb@gmail.com.
authors.forename: D B Gandhi
authors.initials: DBG
authors.lastname: Babu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014070:Tooth / Q000254:growth & development*
keywords: Acharya's method; Cameriere's method; Dental age estimation; Forensic science; Preadolescents; Willems method