Assessment of age of majority by measurement of open apices of the third molars using Cameriere's third molar maturity index

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of biological age of a living subject around the legal cutoff age for adulthood has become a grave concern for forensic experts in India, mainly due to the consequences of criminal obligations in judicial proceedings. Thus, this study was planned to examine the open apices of third molars in discriminating between individuals who are aged 18 years or older and who are not 18 years or older and to assign a cutoff for estimation of the age of 18 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Orthopantomographs of 1062 individuals (14 and 23 years) were assessed, to verify Cameriere's third molar maturity index (I(3M)). The apical ends of the roots of the left mandibular third molar were analyzed. If the apical ends of the roots are completely closed, then I(3M)is zero; otherwise, it is calculated as the sum of the distances between the inner sides of the two open apices divided by the tooth length. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of the test for 0.08 value was 74.7% for males and 66% for females. Specificity was 83.6% for males and 79.6% for females. The probability that an Indian individual with an I(3M)<0.08 in 18 years or older is 78% for males and 70.3% for females. I(3M)is efficacious to determine age in Indian population.