Examination of Dental Age Determination Methods and Their Compatibility with Chronological Age in Turkish Child Population

Demirjian methods for dental age (DA) estimation in children aged 3-11 years and to test the hypothesis that the Willems method provides a closer estimation to chronological age (CA) than the Demirjian method. Methods: A total of 403 panoramic radiographs from children aged 3-11 years were randomly selected. Chronological age was calculated based on the date of radiographic examination. Dental age was estimated using Demirjian’s staging method and converted into Willems dental age (WDA) and Demirjian dental age (DDA). Agreement between CA and estimated DA was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Statistical significance was set at P < .05. Results: The sample consisted of 209 males (51.9%) and 194 females (48.1%). Across all age groups, mean WDA was significantly higher than mean CA (P = .001). The agreement between WDA and CA was excellent, with an ICC value of 0.912, indicating a compliance rate of 91.2%. In contrast, the Demirjian method showed lower agreement with CA across age groups. The calculated WDA and CA showed a substantial association, suggesting that the Willems technique is more appropriate for estimating age in Turkish youngsters. Conclusion: The Willems method demonstrated higher accuracy and stronger agreement with CA compared to the Demirjian method in children aged 3-11 years. These findings support the use of the Willems method for DA estimation in Turkish pediatric populations.