This retrospective study was carried out from the archives of the Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology section (from March 2017 to March 2021) at Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal. We selected 1000 digital panoramic radiographs of individuals aged between 12 and 25 years. Radiographs of individuals belonging to the southern part of the state (South Indian population) were considered after verifying their address from medical records. The difference between the date of birth provided in the dental record and the date on which the radiograph was taken was considered to calculate the age of the individual. Radiographs with diagnostically acceptable images of intact mandibular second and third molars were included in the study. Radiographs with the third and second molars missing or obscured due to artifacts, trauma, or fracture lines of the mandible passing through these molars were excluded. The radiographs that showed various lesions, syndromes, and developmental disorders were also excluded.
The study was conducted after receiving approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee (I.E.C. No: 249/2021).
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