Patel Megha C, Patel Foram, Srivastav Shubham S, Makwani Disha, Patel Chhaya, Mehta Miral, Adalja Chandni J, Rathod Khushi
Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Karnavati School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, IND.
Department of Periodontology, Ganga Dental Clinic, Vadodara, IND.
Cureus. 2025 May 8;17(5):e83743. doi: 10.7759/cureus.83743. eCollection 2025 May.
Age estimation is crucial for human identification in forensic investigations and humanitarian efforts. Tooth development provides one of the most accurate ways to determine age, showing remarkable consistency regardless of external conditions. The Moorrees, Fanning, and Hunt (MFH) technique assesses dental growth by examining the formation of crowns, roots, and apex completion. This method has proven reliable through numerous studies spanning different ethnic and geographic groups. Its systematic approach and scientific foundation make it an invaluable tool in modern forensic odontology, enhancing the accuracy of age estimation practices.
The study aims to evaluate the applicability of the MFH methods to estimate dental age and to compare it with the chronological age of the children in the population of Gandhinagar in the state of Gujarat, India.
A retrospective study was carried out to assess the dental age of the patients visiting the Karnavati School of Dentistry, Gandhinagar, for dental check-ups. Panoramic radiographs were obtained from the archives of the database that have been taken from January 2020 till August 2023 for study purposes and were examined to fit into inclusion criteria. The sample included 388 orthopantomograms (OPGs) of children aged two to 12 years. Each child's tooth was assessed based on developmental stages outlined in the MFH method. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Simple linear regression was used to formulate a regression model to determine the correlation between chronological age and dental age.
The MFH method consistently underestimated dental age (DA) compared to chronological age (CA) across both genders. Analysis of 388 subjects showed male individuals (n = 233) had a mean DA of 6.822 years versus CA of 7.559 years (underestimation: 0.74 years, p<0.001), while female individuals (n = 155) had a mean DA of 6.337 years versus CA of 7.049 years (underestimation: 0.71 years, p = 0.011). Both genders showed strong positive correlations (male individuals: ρ = 0.974, female individuals: ρ = 0.980) and linear relationships (male slope (b) = 1.026, female slope (b) = 1.029) with chronological age, where female participants demonstrated slightly earlier dental maturation patterns.
The MFH method consistently underestimates dental age when compared to chronological age, indicating that it may lack accuracy in dental age assessment in the Gandhinagar population.
年龄估计对于法医调查和人道主义行动中的人员身份识别至关重要。牙齿发育是确定年龄最准确的方法之一，无论外部条件如何，都表现出显著的一致性。穆里斯、范宁和亨特（MFH）技术通过检查牙冠、牙根的形成以及根尖的完成情况来评估牙齿发育。通过对不同种族和地理群体的众多研究，该方法已被证明是可靠的。其系统的方法和科学基础使其成为现代法医牙科学中一项宝贵的工具，提高了年龄估计实践的准确性。
本研究旨在评估MFH方法在估计牙齿年龄方面的适用性，并将其与印度古吉拉特邦甘地讷格尔市人群中儿童的实际年龄进行比较。
进行了一项回顾性研究，以评估到甘地讷格尔市卡尔纳瓦蒂牙科学院进行牙齿检查的患者的牙齿年龄。从数据库档案中获取了2020年1月至2023年8月期间拍摄的全景X线片用于研究目的，并检查其是否符合纳入标准。样本包括388张2至12岁儿童的口腔全景片（OPG）。根据MFH方法中概述的发育阶段对每个儿童的牙齿进行评估。使用IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows 27版（IBM公司，纽约州阿蒙克）进行统计分析。采用简单线性回归建立回归模型，以确定实际年龄与牙齿年龄之间的相关性。
与实际年龄相比，MFH方法在两性中均持续低估牙齿年龄（DA）。对388名受试者的分析显示，男性个体（n = 233）的平均牙齿年龄为6.822岁，而实际年龄为7.559岁（低估：0.74岁，p<0.001），女性个体（n = 155）的平均牙齿年龄为6.337岁，而实际年龄为7.049岁（低估：0.71岁，p = 0.011）。两性与实际年龄均呈现出强正相关（男性个体：ρ = 0.974，女性个体：ρ = 0.980）和线性关系（男性斜率（b） = 1.026，女性斜率（b） = 1.029），其中女性参与者的牙齿成熟模式稍早。
与实际年龄相比，MFH方法持续低估牙齿年龄，表明该方法在甘地讷格尔市人群的牙齿年龄评估中可能缺乏准确性。
