Abstract
Objective: To evaluate dental age assessment reliability through Tooth Coronal Index (TCI) method. Material and Methods: The cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 160 individuals aged between 20-70 years were analyzed in the present study. The height of the crown, i.e., coronal height, and the height of the coronal pulp cavity, i.e., coronal pulp cavity height, of mandibular second premolars and first molars were calculated and then TCI was measured. The actual age of a subject was compared with TCI of tooth and the acquired data were subjected to Pearson’s correlation and unpaired t-tests. Results: Negative correlation was observed between the real age and TCI of mandibular first molar (r = -0.094, p=0.382) and second premolar (r = -0.176, p=0.0961. Statistically significant difference was observed between actual age and TCI for mandibular second premolar and first molar (p<0.001). Conclusion: Tooth coronal index has the potential to estimate age of an individual on CBCT scans. It is simple, cost-effective than histological methods and can be applied to both living and unknown dead.
Highlights
Material and Methods: The cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 160 individuals aged between 20-70 years were analyzed in the present study
Even though skeletal methods could be used to estimate the age of an individual, changes in bone maturation are regulated by various environmental factors
One hundred sixty CBCT scans were selected for the study from the archives of Radiology Department based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria
Summary
Assessment of an individual's age in forensic odontology is a significant aspect of biological identification. Skeletal and dental age estimation has become progressively significant in legal cases for determining an individual's age. Dental tissues are more impervious to various environmental stimuli and are minimally influenced by endocrinal disorders or nutritional deficiency state than other body tissues. In this manner, teeth form an exclusive and appropriate parameter for dental age assessment [4]. According to the age group to which the individual belongs, different methods of age estimation can be used. In this way, dental development could be used in age estimation of younger persons [2,5]
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