Age estimation using dental and hand-wrist radiography among a sample of Egyptian children

The current study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of Willems, Cameriere's and Greulich and Pyle method in age estimation among a sample of Egyptian children aged 8-16 years based on analysis of 140 panoramic dental X-ray and hand-wrist radiographs (70 girls and 70 boys). Using Willems method, the mean dental age underestimated chronological age by (0.20 ± 0.91 years) for boys and by (0.24 ± 1.33 year) for girls; these differences were not statistically significant. Also, Cameriere's method underestimated chronological age in both sexes by mean difference of (1.10 ± 1.22 year) in boys and (1.13 ± 1.31 year) in girls; these differences were statistically significant. Regarding Greulich and Pyle atlas, the mean of skeletal age was overestimated when compared to the real age in boys with a mean difference (0.04 ± 0.86 year). In girls; the age was underestimated by a mean difference of (0.15 ± 1.32 years) when compared to chronological age; these differences were not statistically significant. Comparing the two dental methods, the mean absolute error using Willems method was less than one year (0.94 and 0.96 years) in boys and girls respectively, while in Cameriere's method, it was more than one year in both groups. Moreover; the mean absolute error using Greulich and Pyle atlas was less than two years (1.02 and 1.38 years) in boys and girls respectively. Since Willems and the atlas methods were more accurate, the combination of both of them could be used for age estimation in the Egyptian population.