Introduction: Precise evaluation of the developmental stage of a child is not only an integral part of both diagnosis and treatment of paediatric patients; it is also essential in Forensic Medicine and Dentistry. Physiologic age can be estimated by somatic, sexual, skeletal and dental maturity.
Aim: Investigate the relationship between the dental age (DA) and skeletal age (SA) of children and comparing it with the chronological age (CA).
Materials and methods: The dental age estimation methods of Schour and Massler (S&M), and Demirjian and Goldstien (D&G) and skeletal assessment methods of Greulich and Pyle (G&P), and Tanner et al., (TW2) were used to analyze the orthopantomograms and hand-wrist radiographs respectively of 150 healthy subjects within the age range of 5-15 y and compared with the Chronological Age.
Statistical analysis: Data collected was statistically analysed using the SPSS version 15.0 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Software. For all tests p-value of <0.05 were considered statistically significance.
Results: Dental age estimation techniques were found comparable and equally reliable as the skeletal age estimation methods. Strong correlations between dental and skeletal maturation were demonstrated.
Keywords: Bone age; Chronological age; Dental age.