Background: The applicability of dental age estimation has been expanded to meet a variety of medico-legal needs, law enforcement, and disaster victim identification. The objective of this study is to examine the applicability of the Willems method for Indonesian children. Material and method: A total of 110 panoramic radiographs of the patients (6-14 years old) who met the inclusion criteria were obtained from the Department of Forensic Odontology and Department of Radiology, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia. Estimated dental age (EDA) was assessed using the Willems method by two blinded examiners. The statistical analysis was carried out using IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 23.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Results and discussion: The mean of the chronological age (CA) in this study is 11.30 ± 1.43 years (boys) and 11.65 ± 1.55 years (girls). The overall mean difference between CA and EDA for boys and girls is − 0.08 ± 0.76 and − 0.31 ± 0.97, respectively. This study showed that the mean age difference in girls was more significant than in boys. The growth spurt timing between boys and girls might cause a difference in dental maturation, whereas the onset of the pubertal growth spurt in girls is about 2 years earlier than in boys. In general, girls start and finish their dental development earlier than boys end. Conclusion: The present study suggests that the dental age estimation methods proposed by Willems can be considered as an applicable method for the children population in Surabaya, both boys and girls. However, a detailed study may be required while applying this approach to the 11-14-year-old girl population in Surabaya, as a substantial underestimation was observed in this community.

Indonesia is an archipelagic country bordered by tectonically active zones with intense seismicity and volcanism. This condition is often associated with a high-risk situation of disasters in Indonesia. Forensic identification is a necessary procedure to reveal an individual’s identity. An identity, including sex and age, is needed to build a conclusion of human identification. Dental age estimation is a subfield of forensic odontology which focuses on establishing an individual’s age. Tooth development, biochemical, and postformation changes are the parameters for estimating dental age. This review discusses the applicable dental age estimation method for children and adolescents in Indonesia. Several articles that have previously studied dental age estimation in Indonesia were reviewed for this manuscript. On reviewing these articles, it was found that the Demirjian method, the Willems method, and the Al Qahtani method are useful in this population with higher accuracy than other methods.

Objectives. Dental age estimation has been employed in a range of legal operations as well as catastrophe victim identification. Dental age estimation is regarded as an appropriate method for estimating a person’s age because there is a high association between age and teeth. This study aims to assess the suitability of the Al Qahtani and Willems dental age estimation approaches for the Indonesian children and adolescent population. Methods. A total of 150 panoramic radiographs of patients (75 boys and 75 girls, 6-17 years old) were obtained from the Department of Radiology, Airlangga University, Indonesia. One researcher analyzed estimated dental age (EDA) twice in a one-week time-lapse using the Willems and Al Qahtani methods. The statistical analysis of the present study was carried out using IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 25.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Results. The mean of this study’s chronological age (CA) was 11.60 ± 3.41. Using the Willems method, the mean difference between CA and EDA for boys and girls was -0.41 ± 0.90. The mean difference between CA and EDA for boys and girls is 0.33 ± 0.61 using the Al Qahtani method. Conclusions. According to the findings of this investigation, the dental age estimation method proposed by Al Qahtani and Willems can be applied to the population in Surabaya. However, a comprehensive study is required when using this method because the data revealed significant statistical disparities between the two methods.

Bitemark analysis is a challenging procedure in the field of criminal case investigation. The unique characteristics of dentition are used to find the best match between the existing patterned injury and the suspected perpetrator in bitemark identification. Bitemark analysis accuracy can be influenced by various factors, including biting pressure, tooth morphology, skin elasticity, dental cast duplication, timing, and image quality. This review article discusses the potential of a smartphone camera as an alternative method for 3D bitemark analysis. Bitemark evidence on human skin and food should be immediately recorded or duplicated to retrieve long-lasting proof, allowing for a sufficient examination period. Various studies utilizing twodimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) technologies have been developed to obtain an adequate bitemark analysis. 3D imaging technology provides accurate and precise analysis. However, the currently available method using an intraoral scanner (IOS) requires high-cost specialized equipment and a well-trained operator. The numerous advantages of monoscopic photogrammetry may lead to a novel method of 3D bitemark analysis in forensic odontology. Smartphone cameras and monoscopic photogrammetry methodology could lead to a novel method of 3D bitemark analysis with an efficient cost and readily available equipment.

Dental age estimation methods have been developed in such a way as to fulfill various requirements of medico-legal, law enforcement, and victim identification in mass disasters. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the Willems dental age estimation method for children in Indonesia. The estimated dental age (EDA) was assessed using the Willems method by two examiners. The statistical analysis was carried out using IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 23.0 (IBM, Armonk, New York, USA). The results obtained 92 panoramic radiographs ranging in age from 8 to 14 years from the Departments of Forensic Odontology and Radiology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia. The average chronological age (CA) of the subjects in this study was 11.30+1.43 years for boys and 11.65+1.55 years for girls. The overall mean differences between the CA and the EDA for boys and girls were -0.08+0.76 and -0.31+0.97. In this study, the mean age difference was more significant in girls than in boys. The difference in growth spurt timing between boys and girls may explain the difference in dental maturation, as girls begin their pubertal growth spurt about two years earlier than boys. In general, girls' dental development begins and ends earlier than boys'. In conclusion, the dental age estimation method proposed by Willems can be applied to boys, as there is no significant statistical difference. However, when applying this method to girls, a thorough analysis may be required.Keywords: chronological age; dental age; forensic odontology; human rights; justice

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Bitemarks are patterned injuries caused by teeth in conjunction with other oral structures that are used as evidence in forensic investigations. Its characteristics vary from person to person, even in identical twins. By matching the existing bitemark with the suspect's bitemark, the unique dentition of each individual becomes the scientific basis for identifying bitemarks. Because bitemark proof on human skin and food is transient, it should be immediately recorded or duplicated to retrieve lasting proof, allowing for a longer time of examination, which 3D bitemark analysis can do. However, the currently available method with an intraoral scanner (IOS) necessitates the purchase of expensive specialized equipment that may not be readily available everywhere. The use of a smartphone camera on a monoscopic photogrammetry method could lead to a novel method of 3D bitemark

Background: A dentist is responsible for promoting oral health and disease prevention to make the world a better place in terms of oral health. Besides, the dentist also plays an important role in the forensic field and law enforcement. Forensic odontology is an area of dentistry that deals with the proper management and investigation of dental evidence, which aids in identifying people and the presentation of dental evidence in the interest of justice. Purpose: This article discussed the role and responsibilities of dentists in human identification. Review: The world continues to deteriorate as time passes with much criminality and disasters that cannot be prevented. In many cases, the identification process can be done through the unique characteristics of dentition. Various information such as age, sex, and ethnicity are recorded in the tooth. Forensic dentists are responsible to manage and evaluate tooth evidence. Conclusion: Forensic odontology plays an essential role in determining individual identity. The unique features of dentition provide accurate results in identification if all procedures are correctly employed. With the advancement of science and technology, dentistry may now assist in the identification and investigation of forensic cases.