Treatment Predicament for Pediatric Dentist: Gender-wise Comparative Correlation of Biological and Chronological Age in 8-15-year-old Children

Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2022 Sep-Oct;15(5):569-574. doi: 10.5005/jp-journals-10005-2434.

Abstract

Introduction: The chronological age (CA) of a patient does not always correspond to the events of growth surge; therefore treatment strategies need good knowledge of biological markers.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between the skeletal age (SA), dental age (DA), and CA along with the stages of calcification of teeth and the cervical vertebral maturity (CVM) stages in Indian subjects.

Materials and methods: A sample of 100 pairs preexisting radiographs, both orthopantomogram and lateral cephalogram, of the individuals in the age-group of 8-15 years were procured and were analyzed for the level of dental and skeletal maturity using Demirjian scale and cervical vertebral maturity index, respectively.

Results: A high correlation coefficient (r) was found to be 0.839 (p = 0) between chronological and dental age (DA), 0.833 (p = 0) between chronological and skeletal age (SA), and 0.730 (p = 0) between skeletal and DA.

Conclusion: The current research showed that the overall correlation between all three ages was found to be high. It was found that the SA assessed by the CVM stages had a high correlation with the CA.

Clinical significance: Within the limits of the present study, there exists a high degree of correlation between biological ages and chronological age, but still it is imperative for a correct assessment of biological age of individual patients for quality treatment outcomes.

How to cite this article: Gandhi K, Malhotra R, Datta G, et al. Treatment Predicament for Pediatric Dentist: Gender-wise Comparative Correlation of Biological and Chronological Age in 8-15-year-old Children. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(5):569-574.

Keywords: Age assessment; Cervical vertebral stages; Chronological age; Demirjian method; Dental age; Lateral cephalogram; Orthopantomogram; Skeletal age.