Overcoming population differences for dental age estimation in adults through pulp/tooth volume calculations: a pilot study

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of this pilot study is to explore the possibility of developing a method for dental age estimation in adults, regardless of their nationality or ethnic background, by reconstructing only a fraction of the tooth, generating linear regression models and an equation for age estimation. Eighty-one anonymized cone beam computed tomography images obtained from two different population groups were used. Only sex and age information was known. One group had a Latin-American background (Colombian individuals aged 23 to 71 years) and the other had an Asian background (Malaysian individuals aged 15 to 58 years) The analysed tooth was the maxillary canine, on which was done automatic volume reconstruction of the cervical third of root and root canal. Sample analysis showed that the ages were unequally distributed in the two groups, but by combining them a more equal age distribution was obtained. The correlation coefficient between pulp/pulp+tooth volume ratio increased when data from individuals of both populations were included in the same statistical analysis (R 2 = 0.42). It has been established that methods for age estimation must be population specific. This study presents an analysis including data from individuals that are ethnically different and geographically separated, obtaining promising results.