ArticleInternational journal of legal medicine2024
Studying eruption patterns of mandibular third molars for forensic age assessment: Introducing current reference data from a population of black South Africans.
Article in International journal of legal medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Accuracy of third molar eruption for legal age estimation using the Gambier method in Lebanese subadults.Odontology · 2026Article
- The temporal course of third molar mineralization in a black South African population.International journal of legal medicine · 2026Article
- The time frame of third molar mineralization in a northern chinese population.Forensic science, medicine, and pathology · 2025Article
- Assessing the accuracy of the third molar eruption as an indicator of adulthood: findings from a black South African sample using the Gambier method.International journal of legal medicine · 2025Article
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9 authors.
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Abstract
introductionEvaluation of the eruption of mandibular third molars in orthopantomograms (OPGs) is a method of forensic age assessment. The objective of our study was to provide valid reference data for this trait within a population of black South Africans. The study was guided by the criteria for reference studies in age assessment. MATERIALS AND
methodsA study population from Pretoria, South Africa comprising 670 OPGs obtained from 338 black females and 332 black males aged between 15.00 and 25.97 years was analysed. All OPGs were performed for medical indication during the period from 2011 to 2022 and were retrospectively evaluated. From the 670 OPGs, a total of 1021 mandibular third molars were evaluated. The assessment of mandibular third molars was conducted using the staging scale presented by Olze et al. in 2012. Two experienced dentists evaluated the OPGs independently of each other. If the two examiners diverged in their assessments, a consensus stage was assigned.
resultsAs expected, the mean, median and minimal age increased with higher stages for both teeth and both sexes. The minimum age recorded for stage D, indicating complete tooth eruption, was 15.79 years in females and 16.62 years in males.
conclusionAs it is the case for previous reference studies in other countries, placing exclusive reliance on the evaluation of mandibular third molar eruption is inadequate for ascertaining the age of majority among Black South Africans. Future studies need to examine if our results are transferable to other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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