Dental age estimation in a group of Kenyan children using Willems' method: a radiographic study.
Date
2017-11-07Author
Kihara, EN
Gichangi, P
Liversidge, HM
Butt, F
Gikenye, G
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
BACKGROUND:
Radiographic study of developing teeth provides a reliable indication of chronological age. In Kenya, dentists are often required to estimate age. However, there is a paucity of publications on the performance of dental age estimation methods.
AIM:
To determine the accuracy of Willems' method of dental age estimation.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was done at The University of Nairobi Dental Hospital. Panoramic radiographs of children aged 3.00-16.99 years old were studied. Dental age was estimated according to Willems' method and compared to chronological age and the difference compared to zero using a t-test.
RESULTS:
Radiographs of 187 (47%) females and 214 (53%) males were analysed. Willems' method significantly over-estimated the mean overall age by -0.24 ± 1.17 years (p < .000). Age was over-estimated in girls by -0.10 ± 1.18 years (p = .254); however, age in boys was significantly over-estimated by -0.37 ± 1.14 years (p < .000).
CONCLUSIONS:
Willem's model over-estimated dental age slightly and the method performed better in estimating the age of girls compared to boys. The majority of the children had their age estimated within 1 year of their chronological age. This suggests that Willems' method is suitable for estimating the ages of individual children in Kenya.
Citation
Ann Hum Biol. 2017 Nov;44(7):614-621Publisher
Taylor and Francis
Collections
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) [10387]