Talia Y Marroquin
University of Western Australia, Australia
Title: Orthodontic treatment: Real risk for age estimation in adults?
Biography
Biography: Talia Y Marroquin
Abstract
Dental age estimation is a challenge once root formation has finished in all teeth. In living adults, the most commonly used methods are based on the formation of secondary dentine. Some of the possible side effects of orthodontic treatment are the formation of secondary dentine and root shortening. The aim of this study was to establish if the secondary dentine formation from orthodontic treatment could generate a statistically significant difference in dental age estimations when Kvaal et al method was applied on living adults. This method is based on linear measurements of pulp/tooth length and pulp/tooth width. The study sample included 34 pairs of pre- and post-orthodontic treatment panoramic radiographs, from different individuals with exactly the same age and sex distribution. Females (n=22, 65%) age range 15-50 years old, median 17.5, and males (n=12, 35%) age range 16-37 years old, median 22.5 were included. Dental age was estimated per tooth using formulae previously published. The risk of over-estimating of age was calculated. (RR=1.007). The changes caused by orthodontic treatment do not have any significant effect on age estimation when Kvaal et al method is applied on panoramic radiographs.