Avaliação de um novo método para estimativa de idade dentária utilizando a cronologia de erupção de Nolla

Abstract

Obtaining an estimate of the dental age of individuals is a matter of great social interest, as it plays an important role in civil and criminal proceedings, as well as in endocrinology, orthodontics and pediatric dentistry. Several studies aim to validate the methods developed in different populations worldwide, while other studies propose new methods. Methods that use the development of atlases as a way of estimating age are also well known, as they provide a direct and more simplified comparison of images. Objective: A study was carried out to evaluate the pattern of dental eruption, based on a modification of the Nolla method using a Brazilian population sample, in order to determine the dental age of these patients. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. The total sample required consisted of 572 participants, 286 for each sex and for each gender, in the age ranges from 6 years to 18 years with a 6-month interval. First, intra-examiner and inter-examiner calibration was performed to determine the reliability calculated using Kappa. Stages of dental development of the left hemiarch of the mandible and maxilla of each radiograph were identified. After evaluating the stages of development, the median for each stage and for each tooth was identified. They were tabulated in Excel spreadsheets and statistics were performed to compare with Nolla, demonstrating that there was no statistically significant difference between genders. Based on the results, a more simplified and faster method was proposed to estimate age that can be interpreted by halving the sum of scores covering the age range of 6 to 18 years and 6 months. An age estimation atlas was created, in electronic format (eBook), for estimating age using panoramic radiography in order to offer potential improvements in the workflow of professionals.