Article,
Demirjian's system for estimating the dental age of northeastern Brazilian children
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL, (2010)
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.03.030
Abstract
Since Demirjian's system of estimating dental maturity was first
described, many researchers from different countries have tested its
accuracy among diverse populations. Some of these studies have pointed
out a need to determine population-specific standards. In Brazil, the
Northeast region is the one that most suffers the negative impact of
exodus, specially related to the increase of abandoned children in the
cities. The aim of this study was to test the accuracy of Demirjian's
system for assessing the dental maturity of northeastern Brazilian
children, so as to present a scale for maturity score conversion into
dental age developed specifically for this population. This could be
used for forensic, anthropological and legal matters, and also as a
model for other countries attempting to formulate their own conversion
scales. Panoramic radiographs of 1,491 children (821 females and 670
males), aged 7 to 13 years, from Ceara state, northeast Brazil, were
assessed by a single observer to determine dental age (DA) according to
Demirjian's system. The mean percentage of intra-observer agreement was
86.6%, with a mean Cohen's Kappa coefficient of 0.67 (substantial
agreement). The DA was compared by paired t-test to subjects'
chronological age (CA). The differences between CA and DA in all age
groups were statistically significant (p < 0.0001), demonstrating a
great advancement in DA among Brazilians. Scatter plots were drawn for both genders, and the data were fitted to a growth curve
