Comparative assessment of the accuracy of Cameriere’s third molar maturation index method among three different radiographic techniques in a Turkish population

Abstract

Age estimation of living or deceased individuals can be done for ethical, social and legal purposes and is of paramount importance in forensic medicine. Teeth play a crucial role in age estimation. Third molars can be used for dental age estimation as they are the only teeth still developing at the legal age of 18 years. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of Cameriere’s third molar maturation index method when used with panoramic, periapical and cone beam computed tomography imaging techniques and to test its applicability. The study sample included 101 panoramic radiographs, 101 periapical radiographs and 100 CBCT images from 302 individuals aged 14–24 years. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of Cameriere’s third molar maturation index method were 71%, 97% and 83.1% for panoramic radiographs, 75%, 87.2% and 81.1% for periapical radiographs, and 61.9%, 100% and 72.7% for CBCT images, respectively. Although the cut-off value of 0.08 was applicable for both sexes, it provided more accurate results in males. Although all three imaging methods were acceptable, Cameriere’s third molar maturation index method provided the most accurate results on panoramic images in the Turkish population studied.