AN ALGHORITM OF AGE ESTIMATION IN CHILDREN USING THE ERUPTION SEQUENCE OF CANINES AND PREMOLARS

C. Funieru, A. Bucur, C. Pădurariu, O. Dincă, S. M. Piţuru, M. Butucescu, C. Vlădan

Abstract: Forensic Odontology is a branch of dental science used in law administration and for justice procedures. Recognition of teeth and oral structures are very important in human identification process. Moreover, teeth eruption sequence can bring vital information about children’s age. This study is a cross-sectional clinical survey conducted in Bucharest schools on a 1595 sample of pupils aged 11 to 14 years. The main goal of this report is to establish a link between canines and premolars eruption sequence and the children’s age. An adapted version of the eruption index (EI) was used in this clinical survey. We found most of the differences in the eruption sequence at the age of 11. The EI scores varied from boys to girls as follow: for the upper canine from 1.53 to 1.83, for the upper first premolar from 2.40 to 2.58, and for upper second premolar from 1.80 to 2.02. For the lower teeth we also found some differences at the 11 years old children: the EI scores for the canine varied from 2.14 to 2.61, for the first premolar from 2.33 to 2.41, and for second premolar also varied from 1.69 to 1.73. In general, the eruption sequence presented different patterns for boys and girls which are also direct linked with the children’s age.
Keywords: age estimation, canine, premolar, eruption, sequence, child.