RADIOGRAPHIC DENTAL AGE ESTIMATION APPLIED TO RECTIFICATION OF BIRTH RECORDS – A CASE REPORT

Introduction: Dental age estimation can be useful in criminal and civil scenarios. Among the civil applications of dental age estimation of adults is the rectification of legal documents, such as birth certificates. In this context, rectification is needed when birth registers are delayed or misfiled. The radiographic examination of teeth can be useful because it enables a non-invasive or destructive analysis of age-related parameters, namely the deposition of secondary dentin and the subsequent reduction of the pulpal space. This study reports a case of dental age estimation applied to the rectification of birth records. Case report: An adult male, who planning retirement, claimed to be 10 years younger than his current chronological age (50 years old). The man was referred to the State Medicolegal Institute for dental age estimation to aid the civil Court to decide whether rectification of birth records was necessary. Three non-invasive radiographic dental age estimation methods for adults were applied. One method was based on the linear measurements of the permanent mandibular right canine and first premolar, and the other two considered the pulp/tooth area ratio measured on the radiograph. Conclusion: The methods indicated that the individual was between 60-66 years, confirming his initial claim. Combined with medical and anthropological examinations, dental age estimation contributed to a case of legal rectification.