Korean J Leg Med.  2018 Nov;42(4):141-145. 10.7580/kjlm.2018.42.4.141.

The Application of Paewinsky et al.'s Age Estimation Method to Periapical Radiographs

• Roh BY
• Seo JU
• Kim CG
• Choi CU
• Lee WJ
• Lee SS

• KMID: 2427560
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7580/kjlm.2018.42.4.141

Abstract

There have been many radiographic studies on age estimation that evaluate reduction in size of dental pulp cavity with secondary dentin formation. The Paewinsky method reported high accuracy in estimating ages by measuring the width of the pulp cavity in panoramic radiographs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of the Paewinsky method to digital periapical radiographs. This study was conducted on 103 cases that reported to the Section of Human Identification of the National Forensic Service. The age was calculated by applying the Paewinsky method that measures the root and pulp canal width at three points in a tooth. The estimation results were compared with those calculated by the Johanson method. When the Paewinsky models were applied to digital periapical radiographs, the errors were significantly greater as compared to the original study. The errors of the maxillary second premolar and mandibular lateral incisor were greater than those of the maxillary central incisor, lateral incisor, mandibular canine, and first premolar. Furthermore, errors of the age estimation models in level C were greater than those in levels A and B. This study could be a reference for the application of the Paewinsky method to digital periapical radiographs.

Keyword

Age determination by teeth; Secondary dentin; Dental radiography

MeSH Terms

Age Determination by Teeth
Bicuspid
Dental Pulp Cavity
Dentin, Secondary
Forensic Anthropology
Incisor
Methods*
Radiography, Dental
Tooth

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Paewinsky method application for measurements in periapical radiographs. A, root and pulp width at the cementoenamel junction (CEJ); B, root and pulp width midway between measurement levels A and C; C, root and pulp width midway between the apex and CEJ.

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  Fig. 2 Box-plot representing the difference between estimated ages based on the Paewinsky method and Johanson method (maxillary central incisor, lateral incisor, and second premolar). The box-plot shows median and interquartile range, and whiskers indicate the range.

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  Fig. 3 Box-plot representing the difference between estimated ages based on the Paewinsky method and Johanson method (mandibular lateral incisor, canine, and first premolar).

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