Applicability of Demirjian Method for Dental Age Estimation on Children with Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects the calcification and eruption of teeth, roots, and alveolar bone. On average, people with Down syndrome experience delays in the growth and development of their teeth. This condition needs to be considered in actions both for research and clinical purposes such as pedodontics treatment, orthodontics, and age estimation in the forensic identification process. This study aims to analyze the application of the Demirjian method to children with Down syndrome. A descriptive analysis method was used in this study. 16 panoramic radiographic samples consisting of 6 male samples and 10 female samples with an age range of 7 to 17 years were used. All samples were calculated for chronological and dental age using the Demirjian method. The calculation results were then analyzed using the t-test. The result is that all dental age samples of men and women experience significant delays in maturation compared to their chronological age. So it was concluded that the application of the Demirjian method requires prior adjustments if it is applied to children with Down syndrome. Keywords: Demirjian Method, Down Syndrome, Dental Age Estimation