Possibilities of Dental Age Assessment in Permanent Teeth: A Review

Abstract

The developmental stages of the first and second dentition, combined with abrasive wear of the dental hard tissue can be used for age determination in many mammal species and in humans. Concerning dental age determination, one has to distinguish between invasive techniques, which are mainly applied in dead individuals, and non-invasive methods suitable for living individuals. In contrast to in adults, where only few parameters are available for orientation, age determination in children and adolescents is in general fairly easy, and is facilitated by stereotypical biological growth patterns. In the present article, different methods for dental age determination are introduced, with a special focus on the fields of application, and on the limits of age determination. With increasing age, the number of valid and meaningful dental characteristics diminishes, and therefore the accuracy of dental age assessment decreases.