ABSTRACT
One of the important factors in orthodontic treatment planning is prediction of growth potential which is applied by stages of skeletal age and or another criteria such as the chronological age, sexual maturity, dental development stages, and height and weight. Another importance in determining the patient's age is in legal medicine to determine the guiltiness' age, more or less than 18 years. The aim of this study is to assess the correlation between skeletal, dental and chronological age. This diagnostic study was performed as a cross sectional method in dental faculty of Yazd Shaheed Sadoughi University from 2004 to 2005. 58 Patients of 15-25 years old who referred to private dental office were selected. The samples were chosen with continues method until it reached to the desired total numbers. Each patient completed 4 questionnaires consisting of chronological age, determined age from panoramic radiography, measured age from surgical teeth and determined age according to h and wrist radiography. Panoramic radiographs were read by two oral and maxillofacial radiologists and h and wrist radiographs were read by two radiologists. Statistical analysis was performed by Paired T, Correlation coefficient, Wilcoxon, Smirnov - Kolmogorov. The least fault obtained from determined age and real patient age was related to the right m and ibular surgical wisdom teeth [1.6 months difference]. H and wrist radiographs had the most fault in age determination and both of the two radiologists determined the ages less than real ages [P=0.000]. In the statistical analysis, it seemed that the age determination from wisdom teeth by panoramic radiographs is just a suitable method. When age determination is considered to special case, the maxillary right wisdom teeth showed more proximity to real age [39.4%] and m and ibular left third molars [24.5%] and m and ibular right third molars [23.9%] were in the next steps. Age prediction by wisdom teeth on panoramic views is a proper way to report for legal medicine. Since the h and wrist radiographs had the most faults in age prediction, its advantage is not proposed, in individuals more than 18 years old