I.O.F.O.S. Recommendations for Quality Assurance: Dental age assessment in living individuals

Abstract

Age assessment in living individuals is an important question of legal and humanitarian decision-making when reliable identification documents are unavailable.

The IOFOS Recommendations for Quality Assurance: Dental Age Assessment in Living Individuals were developed to provide standardized guidance for forensic dental age assessment and have undergone successive revisions over time in response to scientific, methodological, ethical, and legal developments. The most recent revision, completed in January 2026, reflects updated evidence, accumulated practical experience, and evolving international standards.

These recommendations define minimum requirements for case documentation, clinical and radiological examination, method selection, use of population-appropriate reference data, uncertainty estimation, and reporting practices. Particular emphasis is placed on transparency, quality assurance, protection of individual rights, and the legal implications associated with age thresholds, especially the determination of minority or majority.

The revised recommendations are intended to serve as an international reference framework for dental age assessment in living individuals, to be adapted and integrated into national legal and regulatory systems in accordance with jurisdiction-specific requirements.

Keywords: Age Estimation; Dental Age Assessment; Living Individuals, Recommendations; IOFOS.