Forensic Dentistry, Second Edition

age estimation from oral and dental structures 279

13.4 Age Estimates for Adolescents and Adults

The several methods discussed so far are unavailable once the subject is at

least in his mid-teens. After this, the variable third molar is the only tooth

that has not yet completed root formation.69,91,92 A more comprehensive

discussion of age estimation for adolescents and young adults from third

molar development is provided below (Section 13.4.5). Focus then turns to

age estimation based upon the aging and, oftentimes, degenerative processes

associated with adulthood, or to techniques that look at histological, bio-

chemical, or special changes in teeth.

Table 13.8 (continued) Age of Achievement of Mineralization Stages of
Permanent Maxillary Teetha

Stage

Incisors

Canine

Premolars Molars
Subjects Central Lateral First Second First Second Third
9 WM 7.5 8.1 8.9 9.2 10.1 5.3 10.5 ...
BM 7.2 7.8 8.3 9.7 9.9 5.3 9.7 ...
WF 6.9 7.4 8.1 9.5 10.1 5.5 10.0 ...
BF 6.4 6.9 7.9 8.9 9.3 4.8 9.5 ...
(SD) (0.82) (0.90) (0.88) (0.85) (1.12) (0.78) (0.81) ...
10 WM 8.1 8.5 10.2 10.7 11.4 6.4 11.8 ...
BM 7.6 8.3 9.7 9.7 10.4 6.9 11.5 ...
WF 7.5 8.2 9.4 10.0 10.5 6.3 11.3 ...
BF 7.1 8.5 9.1 10.3 10.0 6.0 10.8 ...
(SD) (1.04) (0.75) (0.92) (0.96) (1.06) (0.74) (1.10) ...
11 WM 8.8 9.6 11.9 12.3 12.6 7.5 12.6 ...
BM 8.9 9.7 11.3 12.1 12.3 7.5 12.5 ...
WF 8.1 9.1 11.0 11.2 11.2 7.3 11.5 ...
BF 8.5 9.1 10.1 10.5 11.4 6.6 11.4 ...
(SD) (0.86) (0.84) (1.07) (1.02) (0.81) (1.03) (0.93) ...
12 WM 9.7 10.5 12.5 12.7 12.3 8.5 12.4 ...
BM 9.3 9.6 12.7 11.9 12.8 8.5 12.8 ...
WF 9.1 9.7 11.8 11.6 12.0 8.0 12.1 ...
BF 8.8 9.6 11.5 11.1 12.2 8.4 12.2 ...
(SD) (0.91) (1.00) (0.95) (0.85) (0.77) (1.05) (1.06) ...
13 WM ... ... ... ... ... 9.5 12.5 ...
BM ... ... ... ... ... 9.3 13.0 ...
WF ... ... ... ... ... 9.2 12.9 ...
BF ... ... ... ... ... 8.8 11.8 ...
(SD) ... ... ... ... ... (1.07) (1.43) ...
a Data are unreported (...) when the sample size is less than five and for the first and last
mineralization stages, which cross-sectional data do not accurately define. The values are
the arithmetic mean and standard deviation (SD) weighted for the four race-sex subgroups
of each tooth and stage.