Dental maturation in a Chinese sample using Demirjian method

Abstract

Background

Dental calcification information is relevant for clinical, archaeological, and forensic applications. However, dental maturity measurements in current cohorts of Chinese children are insufficient.

Aim

This study aimed to establish the mandibular dental maturity table and determine the accuracy of dental age estimation using the Demirjian method in a Chinese sample.

Subjects and methods

Permanent mandibular teeth, excluding the third molar, in 2091 panoramic radiographs of 1008 males and 1083 females aged 3–15 were graded, and dental age was estimated according to Demirjian’s criteria. Age-of-attainment was calculated with probit regression for each stage by sex, and sex differences were analysed using the Mann–Whitney U test. Dental age was compared with chronological age using paired t-tests.

Results

Although females showed earlier age-of-attainment than males, significant sex differences were only found in stages D-G (p < 0.05). The Demirjian method overestimated the dental age in both males (0.68 ± 1.05 years) and females (0.59 ± 0.97 years).

Conclusions

The relationship between mineralisation stage and chronological age in this study can be applied as a reference for mandibular dental maturity of Chinese children and adolescents. The Demirjian method overestimated the chronological ages of this sample.

Keywords:

• Mandibular dental development
• maturity table
• the Demirjian method
• sex difference
• dental age estimation

Disclosure statement

The authors declared that they had no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study received support from Seed Founding of Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (JYZZ039), Clinical Research Program of Health Care Industry, Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (20194Y0049), and Clinical Research Program of Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (JYLJ010).