Age estimation and eruption of permanent teeth between two genders-A cross sectional study

Abstract

Identification is necessary in living persons, recently dead, decomposed bodies, mutilated bodies, skeletonised bodies etc. Age estimation constitutes one of the important tools for identification of a person, both in civil and criminal cases. Teeth are the most reliable material in identification and age estimation in the dead as they do not undergo mutilation by fire or decomposition A tooth is considered to be erupted when the crown or any part of the tooth becomes clinically visible in the oral cavity. The present study was conducted to collect the cross-sectional data for the time and sequence of eruption of permanent teeth among the school going children of north Indian population. The age group was limited to 6 to 14 years, which includes the age range at which all permanent teeth have been found to be erupted, except the third molars. Schools registered with Directorate of school education were considered for the study. A total of 1804 subjects were examined. The mean age of eruption of mandibular first molar has been found to be earlier than the permanent mandibular central incisor as well as earlier in females compared to males. Also the mean age of eruption of any tooth has been found to be earlier in mandible as compared to maxilla in both males and female. Permanent teeth erupted earlier in females than in males and also earlier in mandible compared to maxilla.