Assessment of the coming of age using the Caggiano method based on Demirijian stages and the Cameriere method applied to third molars in a Brazilian population

Abstract

Age estimation can be carried out through dental methods to determine whether an individual has attained legal majority. The aim of the study was to apply the methods proposed by Caggiano et al. (2022) based on Demirjian et al. (1973) stages and Cameriere et al. (2008), to third molars to estimate the legal age of 18 years, through the evaluation of panoramic radiographs in a Brazilian sample. The final sample of this study comprised 270 radiographs, including 188 from females and 82 from males, belonging to individuals aged between 16.00 and 23.99 years. After data collection, the information was organized in Microsoft Excel^© spreadsheets and subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. The method proposed by Caggiano et al. (2022) method based on Demirjian et al. (1973) stages, proved to be more sensitive than specific. In contrast, the method proposed by Cameriere et al. (2008) showed the opposite pattern, demonstrating greater specificity than sensitivity. It can be concluded that the results showed moderate accuracy for both methods.

Keywords: Dental Age Estimation, Forensic Odontology, Criminal Liability, Third Molar