Compatibility Of Nolla and Demirjian Methods for Children Living in Eastern Türkiye

Objective: Dental age serves as a critical metric in determining the biological age of individuals andis frequently utilized in forensic and clinical research. The present study aimed to evaluate theimplementation and accuracy of Nolla and Demirjian methods in assessing dental developmentamong 6-year-old children residing in the eastern region of Türkiye, specifically focusing ondentition of the left mandibular region. Methods: The orthopantomographic radiographs from 190 patients (104 males, 86 females)chronologically aged 6 years, who presented to the Department of Pedodontics, Faculty of Dentistry,Atatürk University, for examination between January 1, 2024, and May 31, 2024, were analyzed. Theteeth in the left mandibular region were individually classified according to the calcification stagesdescribed by Nolla and Demirjian. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using Pearson’s ChiSquare test and Wilcoxon test, with a significance level set at p<0.05. Results: Age estimations performed using Nolla and Demirjian methods revealed differences of 0.81± 0.49 years and 0.27 ± 0.51 years, respectively (p<0.05). Additionally, low but statistically significantcorrelations were identified (p<0.001). Weaker correlations between the age estimation methodswere observed in males, while stronger and statistically significant correlations were found amongfemales. Demirjian method was determined to be more consistent compared to Nolla method forboth genders. Conclusion: The accuracy of age estimation methods may vary based on gender, highlightingpotential differences in biological age assessment techniques across sexes. These results emphasizethe importance of gender-specific evaluations when using dental development-based ageestimation methods. Keywords: Demirjian Method, Nolla Method, Dental Age, Turkish Children