Abstract
Background: Age estimation is a fundamental part of forensic science. Considering the fact that pulp size decreases throughout the life because of secondary dentine apposition, many researchers have used it as a method for age estimation with great results. This study aimed to determine the applicability of tooth to pulp ratio in mandibular second premolars in an Iranian population using panoramic radiographs. Methods: The sample consisted of 153 digital panoramic images of male and female Iranians aged 13-70 years, and the tooth to pulp ratio of both left and right mandibular second premolars was obtained using AutoCAD software. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson’s correlation, and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. A total of 20 images were reexamined after 30 days to test intra-observer error. Results: ANOVA test showed that gender had no effect on age estimation, and there was a significant correlation between age and tooth/pulp ratio (r=0.679 for right premolar, r=0.712 for left premolars, and r=0.736 for both premolars). Linear regression formulae were created based on the results and the mean differences between the estimated and actual age were reported to be 10.35±0.51, 9.17±0.54, and 8.83±0.52 for right, left, and both premolars, respectively. Intra-observer error showed no significant difference between repeated measurements. Conclusions: Tooth/pulp ratio of mandibular second premolars is a reliable and repeatable method for age estimation in Iranian population and using premolars of both sides yields the best results.
Highlights
Age estimation is a fundamental part of forensic science
Materials and Methods The sample consisted of 153 digital panoramic radiographs belonging to patients who had taken them for other purposes
The present study was conducted on 153 digital panoramic radiographs which were divided into 6 age groups of roughly the same size (25±2)
Summary
Age estimation is a fundamental part of forensic science. Considering the fact that pulp size decreases throughout the life because of secondary dentine apposition, many researchers have used it as a method for age estimation with great results. Methods: The sample consisted of 153 digital panoramic images of male and female Iranians aged 13-70 years, and the tooth to pulp ratio of both left and right mandibular second premolars was obtained using AutoCAD software. Conclusions: Tooth/pulp ratio of mandibular second premolars is a reliable and repeatable method for age estimation in Iranian population and using premolars of both sides yields the best results. It is used to predict the age of an unidentified person whether dead or alive helps in a lot of situations such as creating a profile and identifying victims in criminal cases and large-scale fatalities due to disasters or accidents It can be used in social cases such as refugees with no identification to grant civil rights [1,2,3].
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