Expressing Uncertainty in Dental Age Estimation: A Comparison between Two Methods of Calculating the "Average" Standard Deviation1. Issue 5 (1st April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Draft, Derek; Lucas, Victoria S.; McDonald, Fraser; Andiappan, Manoharan; Roberts, Graham
• Is Part Of: Journal of forensic sciences. Volume 64:Issue 5(2019)
• Page Start: 1506
• Page End: 1509
• Publication Date: 2019-04-01
• Subjects: forensic science -- forensic odontology -- dental age estimation -- pooled standard deviation -- unweighted average standard deviation -- weighted average standard deviation; Medical jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Forensic sciences -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Gerechtelijke geneeskunde; Gerechtelijke chemie; Gerechtelijke psychiatrie; 363.2505
• DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14049
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1198

Abstract

Abstract: The expression of uncertainty is defined by the standard deviation and is usually expressed in multiples of the standard deviation (±1sd, ±2sd, and ±3sd). The objective was to use weighting of the sd calculation by the number or count of subjects for each tooth development stage. A comparison shows the difference between the range of uncertainty using the unweighted sd and the weighted sd. The range of uncertainty related to Dental Age Estimation is statistically significantly greater ( p < 0.001) for the weighted sd compared to the unweighted sd. It is concluded that the number of subjects for each Tooth Development Stage in the Reference Data set should be included in the calculation for a single Dental Age Estimation using the Simple Average Method when presenting the uncertainty associated with the point estimate of the "mean" for Dental Age Estimation of a single subject of unknown age.