NCJ Number
217235
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 52 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2007 Pages: 166-170
Date Published
January 2007
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This continuation of a previously published pilot study examined whether the determination of pulp/tooth area ratio by peri-apical images could be used as an indicator of age at death.
Abstract
The study found that measurement of the pulp/tooth area ratio on upper and lower canine teeth was successful in estimating age at death, with a residual standard error of approximately 5.4 years. This method produced more accurate age estimates than other skeletal age calculation techniques, such as those based on cranial suture, os pubis, auricular surface of the ilium, or sternal rib. There were no significant intraobserver differences in estimates, and gender was not a factor in the age estimates. The use of radiographic images of the canine teeth produced reliable and reproducible intraobserver measurements of the canines. A total of 200 peri-apical X-rays of upper and lower canine teeth were obtained from 57 male and 43 female skeletons of Caucasians who were between 20 and 79 years old when they died. They belong to the Frasetto osteological collection of Sassari (Sardinia) and are housed in the Museum of Anthropology, Department of Experimental and Evolutionistic Biology, University of Bologna. For each skeleton, dental maturity was determined by measuring the pulp/tooth area ratio on upper and lower canines. Statistical analysis was performed in order to obtain multiple regression formulas for dental age calculation. Chronological age was the dependent variable, and gender and upper and lower canines were independent variables. 4 tables, 3 figures, and 16 references