Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the reproducibility of dental age estimation methods in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and the correlation between dental (DA) and chronological (CA) ages. Methods: The scientific literature was searched in six databases (PubMed, Scopus, LILACS, Web of Science, SciELO, and OATD). Only observational studies were selected. Within each study, the outcomes of interest were (I) the quantified reproducibility of the method (κ statistics and Intraclass correlation coefficient); and (II) the correlation (r) between the dental and chronological ages. A random-effect three-level meta-analysis was conducted alongside moderator analysis based on methods, arch (maxillary/mandibular), population, and number of roots. Results: From 671 studies, 39 fulfilled the inclusion criteria, with one study reporting two different methods. The methods used in the studies were divided into metric (n = 17), volumetric (n = 20), staging (n = 2), and atlas (n = 1). All studies reported high examiner reproducibility. Group 1 (metric and volumetric) provided a high inverse weighted r ([ ] = −0.71, CI [-0.79,–0.61]), and Group 2 (staging) provided a medium-weighted r ([ ] = 0.49, CI [0.44, 0.53]). Moderator analysis on Group one did not show statistically significant differences between methods, tooth position, arch, and number of roots. An exception was detected in the analysis based on population (Southeast Asia, [ ] = −0.89, CI [-0.94,–0.81]). Conclusion: There is high evidence that CBCT methods are reproducible and reliable in dental age estimation. Quantitative metric and volumetric analysis demonstrated better performance in predicting chronological age than staging. Future studies exploring population-specific variability for age estimation with metric and volumetric CBCT analysis may prove beneficial.

In adult dental age estimation, segmentation of dental volumetric information from different tooth parts using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has proven beneficial in improving the regression model reliability. This segmentation method can be expanded in the crown part since the volumetric information in the crown is affected by attrition in the enamel and secondary dentine in the dentine and pulp chamber. CBCT scans from 99 patients aged between 20 and 60 were collected retrospectively. A total of 80 eligible teeth for each tooth type were used in this study. The enamel to dentine volume ratio (EDVR), pulp to dentine volume ratio (PDVR) and sex were used as independent variables to predict chronological age (CA). The EDVR was not affected by PDVR. The highest R² was calculated from the maxillary canine (R² = 0.6). The current approach in crown segmentation has proven to improve model performance in anterior maxillary teeth.

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) enables the assessment of regressive morphological changes in teeth, which can be used to predict chronological age (CA) in adults. As each tooth region is known to have different correlations with CA, this study aimed to segment and quantify the sectional volumes of the tooth crown and root from CBCT scans to test their correlations with the chronological age (CA). Seventy-five CBCT scans from individuals with age between 20 and 60 years were collected retrospectively from an existing database. A total of 192 intact maxillary anterior teeth fulfilled the eligibility criteria. The upper tooth volume ratio (UTVR), lower tooth volume ratio (LTVR), and sex were used as predictor variables. The UTVR and LTVR parameters were both found to be differently correlated to CA and independent from each other. Regression models were derived from each tooth, with the highest R-2 being the maxillary lateral incisor (R-2 = 0.67). Additional single predictor models using each ratio were capable of reliably predicting the CA. The segmentation approach in volumetric adult dental age estimation proved to be beneficial in enhancing the reliability of the regression model.

Background: Dental age estimation (DAE) research has grown rapidly and became one of the biggest topics in forensic odontology. This study aimed to evaluate the DAE research trends over the span of 60 years using bibliometric analysis. Methods: Sampling was performed in the Scopus database using a search string (“Dental Age Estimation” OR “Age Determination by Teeth”) to detect DAE-related studies. The search was performed from inception to the year 2022. A data-cleaning intervention using a fuzzy-matching technique was done to unify the author and affiliation name variations. Results: The initial search returned 1638 articles, years of publication ranging from 1964 to 2022, with an approximate growth rate of 5.9% a year. Source analysis showed that most of the top article sources were Forensic Science International (n = 200). Cameriere R presents the overall highest score (77 articles, Local h-index 30). Authors from Shanghai Jiao Tong University produced the highest number of publications (n = 111). The most locally cited study was “A New System of Dental Age Assessment” by Demirjian et al. (Hum Biol 45:211-227, 1973) (n = 1507). The trending topics analysis shows that earlier DAE studies were focused on dental regressive changes and later changed focus to utilizing technological advancements. Institutions and Author's collaborations were also found to be internationally diverse with 20.82% of the articles being a product of international co-authorships. Conclusions: DAE research has grown rapidly helped by multiple advancements in various technological ends. Along with the high demand for DAE analysis, authors and publishers need to continually improve their standards for their respective research and reporting and continue to increase collaboration.