Nicodemo's method on dental development: a cross-sectional study with 3,271 children and adolescents

Civil and criminal forensics utilize dental development to estimate age. The method of Nicodemo, Moraes, and Medici Filho (NMM) is a popular dental age estimation tool in South America; however, it lacks a scientific basis for applications in contemporary forensic practice. This research included the largest sample ever collected in Brazil for a similar purpose. The sample consisted of 3,271 panoramic radiographs of female (n = 1,634) and male (n = 1,637) individuals between six and 22.9 years old (mean 14.6 +/- 4.9 years). The applied NMM method considered all maxillary and mandibular left permanent teeth (n = 16). The fit between the chronological age and estimated age intervals was assessed, and a correlation test with Lin's correlation coefficient was performed. The overall percentage of fit was 22.5%, without statistically significant differences based on sex (p > 0.05). The percentage of fit was greater in younger individuals, such as those aged 6-6.99 years (90%), and progressively decreased in older individuals, such as those aged 11-11.9 years (18.2%). After 12 years of age, the method could not provide correct classifications up to 25 years of age. Lin's correlation coefficient was predominantly low (rho = 0.175; 0.367). NMM is considerably limited, and current forensic practice should not apply it to estimate dental age.