The usefulness of dental and cervical maturation stages in New Zealand children for Disaster Victim Identification

Age estimation of young victims of natural and un-natural disasters remains a crucial and challenging task during the process of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI). The purpose of this study was to compare dental maturity using the Demirjian and Cameriere methods and to explore the relationship between dental age and cervical vertebral maturity (CVM) using the Hassel and Farman method for a group of New Zealand children. The study used lateral cephalometric and panoramic radiographs of 200 orthodontic patients aged 7–17 years. Dental age was calculated from mandibular tooth formation stages using the Demirjian and Cameriere methods by calculating the ratio of tooth length to apex width for these teeth. CVM was assessed using stages from Hassel and Farman. Reliability of maturity from reassessment of 20 radiographs showed good agreement for the three methods. Chronological and dental ages were compared using a mixed model. Descriptive statistics of dental ages by CVM stage were calculated. The results show that both dental methods were similar in assessing maturity. A disadvantage of using the Cameriere method was that all seven teeth reached maturity at 13.69 and 14.06 years in females and males respectively, compared to age 16 using the Dermijian method. Females reached CVM stages at earlier chronological and dental ages than males. Mean chronological age for CVM stages 2–5 is about 1 year earlier in females than males. The Demirjian and Cameriere methods of dental maturity and CVM are reliable and useful in assessing dental and skeletal maturity. Ideally in a DVI situation, both the methods of Demirjian and Cameriere, together with CVM, should be employed in the ageing of individuals suspected of being between 7 and 16 years.