Legal Adult Age Estimation By Cameriere's Third Molar Maturity Index In Coastal Andhra Population

ABSTRACT Establishing whether an individual has attained legal adulthood is crucial in forensic, medico-legal, and civil contexts, particularly when valid identity documents are unavailable1,2. Dental age estimation is considered reliable due to the relative resistance of teeth to environmental and systemic influences3. After adolescence, the mandibular third molar is the only tooth undergoing active development, making it a valuable indicator for age estimation around the legal threshold of 18 years4,5 . Cameriere’s Third Molar Maturity Index (I3M), based on the measurement of open apices relative to tooth length, has been proposed as a reliable method to discriminate between minors and adults6. The present cross-sectional study evaluates the applicability of Cameriere’s I3M cutoff value (0.08) in a Coastal Andhra population and examines correlations with chronological age, gender differences, and side-wise variation.