Dental age estimation with special emphasis on age limits of 12/15 and 18 years: Detailed analysis according to governing law

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of Demirjian method in estimation of age groups with limits of 12, 15, and 18 years, according to ages of legal responsibilities. Methods: The panoramic radiographs of the study population aged between 6 to 22 were assessed for third molar (3M) mineralization with Demirjian method with four subgroups. Group 1 consisted of individuals aged between 6 to and 12 years of age, Group 2 were aged between 12 to 15 (Group 2, >= 12, <15), Group 3 were aged between 15-18 years (Group 3, >= 15, <18) and Group 4 were aged over-18s (Group 4, >= 18). Chronological age, developmental stages of 3Ms, differences between bilateral 3M stages and their relations between age groups were evaluated. Results: Regarding all 3M mineralization evaluations, stages 0 and A for Group 1; stages C and D for Group 2; stages E and F for Group 3; stage H for Group 4 was found to be high in percent (p<.05). Regarding the bilateral evaluations, the most variations were in readings of stages B, C, E and G as two stages below and one stage above the concordance. Conclusion: Use of Demirjian method facilitated discrimination of specific age groups with 12, 15, and 18 age thresholds in a sample of a young Turkish subpopulation from the Northwest Anatolia. Regarding the staging assessment in Demirjian method, independent evaluation of each side must be considered for bilateral 3Ms.