Development and validation of an age estimation model based on dental characteristics using panoramic radiographs

Area of Science:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Radiology
• Odontology

Background:

• Dental characteristics hold potential for chronological age estimation.
• Panoramic radiographs offer a non-invasive method for observing dental features.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a regression model for age estimation using dental characteristics from panoramic radiographs.
• To assess the efficacy of treatment-induced dental characteristics as age indicators.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 2,391 panoramic radiographs from individuals aged 20-89 years.
• Development of a regression model focusing on five treatment-induced dental characteristics.
• Comparison of a posterior teeth-only model with a full-dentition model and a conventional forensic method.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant correlations were found between observed dental characteristics and chronological age.
• A model using posterior teeth achieved an adjusted R-squared of 0.564 and RMSE of 13.144 years.
• The developed model demonstrated slightly lower accuracy than a widely used non-destructive method in Korean forensic practice.

Conclusions:

• Dental characteristics are viable indicators for age estimation.
• A model utilizing posterior teeth is a practical and recommendable option for age estimation.
• This regression model can serve as a supplementary tool in forensic age assessment, complementing existing methods.