What skeletal method is often utilized for estimating age in juveniles?

The skeletal method that is often utilized for estimating age in juveniles is dental analysis. In juveniles, the development of teeth is a reliable indicator of age since teeth erupt in a fairly predictable sequence and at specific ages. This method encompasses assessing the presence and formation of primary teeth (deciduous) and the timing of permanent teeth emergence.

While iliac crest fusion is relevant for aging adults, as the sacral and pelvic areas show clear signs of fusion with aging, it is not applicable for juveniles, whose growth plates have not yet fused. Cranial suture analysis also pertains more to adults, as the sutures of the skull fuse at known ages, but it is not ideal for determining the age of younger individuals due to the variability in suture closure times. Long bone length measurement can provide insights about growth and development but is less specific compared to dental development, which allows for more accurate age determination in the juvenile population. Thus, dental analysis is the preferred skeletal indicator for estimating juvenile age.