Comparison of the accuracy of Cameriere's European formula with CBCT and panoramic radiography in dental age estimation in Turkish children

This study aims to assess the reliability of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and panoramic radiography (PR) concerning dental age (DA) estimation using the Cameriere European Formula for teeth with open apices, and to evaluate their correlation with chronological age (CA) in Turkish children. The study involved 101 children aged between 6 and 14 years. DA was estimated based on the normalized measurements of the number of teeth with open apices (xi) and closed apices (N0) in the developing permanent teeth of the participants, assessed through the use of CBCT and PR. The agreement between the DA and CA obtained from the use of both imaging methods was compared and analyzed. The sample consisted of 47 girls (46.53%) and 54 boys (53.46%). The mean CA was 10.79 ± 2.49 years for girls and 11.22 ± 2.52 years for boys. In the analysis of the whole sample, PR overestimated age by 0.03 years, while CBCT overestimated age by 0.06 years. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.997). The Mean Absolute Error (MAE) between DA and CA was 0.04 ± 2.55 years for PR and 0.06 ± 2.50 years for CBCT in girls. In boys, the MAE was 0.05 ± 2.30 years for both PR and CBCT. Using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient test, a strong positive correlation (ranging from 0.950 to 0.975) was obtained between DA-CA in terms of both imaging methods. The DAs estimated by CBCT and PR showed similar accuracy and reliability, indicating promising results for the use of CBCT scans as an alternative to PRs when available.