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BMC Oral Health
Published in: BMC Oral Health 1/2022

Open Access 01-12-2022 | Orthopantomogram | Research

Comparative assessment of the Willems dental age estimation methods: a Chinese population-based radiographic study

Authors: Jian Wang, Linfeng Fan, Shihui Shen, Meizhi Sui, Jiaxin Zhou, Xiaoyan Yuan, Yiwen Wu, Pingping Zhong, Fang Ji, Jiang Tao

Published in: BMC Oral Health | Issue 1/2022

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Abstract

Background

The comparison of the two Willems dental age estimation methods (gender-specific (Willems I) and non-gender-specific (Willems II)) has not been fully investigated. Here we aimed to explore the applicability of the Willems dental age estimation in an Eastern Chinese population, which may cast light on the field of dental age estimation.

Methods

A total of 1211 oral panoramic radiographs (582 boys and 629 girls) of the Chinese Han population aged 11–16 years old were collected. Dental ages (DAs) were calculated using the Willems method. Statistical significance was set at a p-value < 0.05. Age differences between chronological age (CA) and dental age were analyzed by paired t-tests and mean absolute error (MAE).

Results

The differences between CA and DA determined by the Willems I method were + 0.44 and + 0.09 years for boys and girls, respectively. When using the Willems II method, these differences were + 0.57 and − 0.09. The MAEs of the Willems I method between DA and CA were 0.95 and 1.00 years in boys and girls, respectively. For Willems II, MAEs were 1.02 and 1.00 years in boys and girls.

Conclusions

This study showed that the Willems I method was more accurate than the Willems II method in the boys’ group for predicting age from a whole scale. In comparison, Willems II is more competitive in the girls' group. Neither method may be satisfactory for 11-to-16-year-old teenagers in Eastern China.
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Metadata
Title
Comparative assessment of the Willems dental age estimation methods: a Chinese population-based radiographic study
Authors
Jian Wang
Linfeng Fan
Shihui Shen
Meizhi Sui
Jiaxin Zhou
Xiaoyan Yuan
Yiwen Wu
Pingping Zhong
Fang Ji
Jiang Tao
Publication date
01-12-2022
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Oral Health / Issue 1/2022
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6831
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-022-02418-5

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