Central Annals of Forensic Research and Analysis Cite this article: Pereira CP, Escobar CP, Santos JC (2015) Age Estimation of Unaccompanied Minors: A Portuguese Overview. Ann Forensic Res Anal 2(1): 1012. *Corresponding author C ristia na Pa lme la Pe re ira , Assista nt Pro fe sso r a t the Dental Faculty, University of Lisbon, Scientifc C o nsulta nt o f Fo re nsic De ntistry, So uth Bra nc h o f the Po rtug ue se Na tio na l Institute o f Le g a l Me d ic ine a nd Fo re nsic Sc ie nc e , Re se a rc he rs a t the C ENC IFO R, C e ntre fo r Fo re nsic Sc ie nc e s, Re se a rc he r a t the C e ntre o f Sta tistic s a nd Ap p lic a tio ns o f Unive rsity o f Lisb o n (C EAUL), Po rtug a l, Ema il: Submitte d: 13 No ve mb e r 2014 Accepted: 02 Fe b rua ry 2015 Publishe d: 25 Fe b rua ry 2015 Copyright © 2015 Pe re ira e t a l. OPEN ACCESS Ke ywo rds • Fo re nsic d e ntistry • Ag e e stima tio n • Una c c o mp a nie d mino rs Mini Review Age Estimation of Unaccompanied Minors: A Portuguese Overview Cristiana Palmela Pereira 1,4,5 *, Catarina Pereira Escobar 2 and Jorge Costa Santos 3,4 1 Assistant Professor at the Dental Faculty, University of Lisbon, Scientifc Consultant of Forensic Dentistry, South Branch of the Portuguese National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Science, Portugal 2 Trainee Lawyer at GAP Lawyers, Master Student at the ISCTE-IUL, Portugal 3 Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Director of the Forensic Clinical and Pathology Department at the South Branch of the Portuguese National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Portugal 4 Researchers at the CENCIFOR, Centre for Forensic Sciences, Portugal 5 Researcher at the Centre of Statistics and Applications of University of Lisbon (CEAUL), Portugal Abstract In the past decade there has been a considerable increase in the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children, many of whom appeared to be older than their given age. Dental age assessment has been included as part of the asylum seeking process in Portugal since the Law n. º 27/2008 dated 30 June (the “Asylum Law”). The legal framework of the forensic examination is based in biomedical ethics. The aim is to fnd the frequency of unaccompanied asylum seeking children with dental evidence of being older 18 years during the period between 2009 and 2013. In this period age estimations have been performed on 82 unaccompanied asylum seeking children whose given ages were queried by the Aliens and Bored Service – SEF, to the South Branch of National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences from Portugal. The dental development was studied on ortopantomograpic radiographs and the developing teeth staged from the tables according to Liversidge (2008), Mincer et al. (1993), Kullmanet al. (1992) and Haavikko (1970). If the dental development was complete, the dental age was estimated from Kvaal et al. (1995). The majority of the unaccompanied asylum seeking children clamed to came from Guinea Conakry, Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Syria, Congo, Morocco and other African countries and non- African countries. There was no statistical signifcant difference between sexes. The majority gave the age as being 14 or 15 years (70%). Forty percent were found to be 18 years or older by the dental methods. Fifty percent were in need of dental treatment. INTRODUCTION Age generally refers to a period of existence and is generally used in the context of the length of time a person has lived. The term chronological age is frequently employed to differentiate from skeletal age which indicate the stage of the skeletal maturation or from dental age which indicate the stage of dental development [1]. The changes which occur in skeletal and dental tissues in the course of time are indications of the biological development of the individual. In forensic work this development is measured as an indicator of age, biological age, but may different from the chronological age [2]. The earliest known record of changes in teeth being used as an indicator of biological age originates from England in the early 19 th century. At this time seven years of age was the limit for criminal responsibility, but without a register of births the child’s age could on occasion be disputed [3]. In 1836 Thomson who was one of the pioneers of medical jurisprudence, stated “It is at this period that the third molar tooth…appears… you can have no hesitation in affirming that the culprit has not passed his seventh year”. By the third molar he meant the first permanent molar erupting after the two deciduous molars. Early English social legislation provided that no child under nine years of age should be employed in cotton, woollen and flax mills and that children under thirteen years should not work more than nine hours a day [4]. In 1837 Saunders, who became a leading dentist, laid before the parliament a pamphlet, “The Teeth a Test