Forensic Dentistry, Second Edition

age estimation from oral and dental structures 273

Most grading schemes have been developed for assessing radiographic
images of crown-root formation. With appropriate consideration, though, one
can use actual teeth from recently deceased or archaeological material.63–65
If histological sections of teeth are studied, it needs to be remembered that
the soft tissue growth and differentiation of a tooth precedes the mineral-
ization phase.^49 Kronfeld suggested that histological processes were two to
six months ahead of radiological findings.^66
The first large-scale study of permanent tooth mineralization in chil-
dren followed longitudinally was the well-known work of Moorrees et al.,^28
which actually combined two growth studies. Records of young children
(less than about ten years of age) were examined from the Boston area.
These records had been collected by Harold C. Stuart, but World War II
put an unexpected end to Stuart’s study.24a Moorrees consequently com-
bined these Boston data with those from older children enrolled in the Fels
Longitudinal Study in Yellow Springs, Ohio.^67 The resulting data are some-
what confounded because the tooth development data for younger and older
children are from different populations—and the Fels children had a faster
tempo of growth than those in Boston.^68

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Cu sp tips are mineralized but

have not yet coalesced.

Mineralized cusps are united so

the mature coronal morphology

is well-defined.

The crown is about half formed;

the pulp chamber is ev ident and

dentinal depo sition is occ urring.

Crown formation is

complete to the

dentinoenamel junction.

The pulp chamber has a

trapezoidal form.

Formation of the inter-

radicular bifu rc ation has

beg un. Root length is less

than the crown length.

Root length is at least as grea t as

cr own length. Roots have

funnel-shaped endings.

Root walls are parallel, but

apic es remain open.

Ap ical ends of the roo ts are

completely closed, and the

pe riodontal membrane has a

uniform width around the roo t.

Figure 13.4 schematic drawings of the eight ordinal grades used in the demirjian

system of dental age estimation. the dotted circles in stages a through d depict

the encapsulating bony crypt. (modified from demirjian et al.^62 )