title: Racial variations in the extent of tooth root translucency in ageing individuals.
abstract: One hundred and ninety-eight single-rooted teeth from individuals aged 21-90 yr of Caucasian, Malay, Chinese Malay and Indian Malay origin were studied. Single or serial longitudinal sections of extracted teeth were cut following dye imbibition of patent dentinal tubules. The extent of sclerosis of apical dentinal tubules was assessed and correlated with the age of the individual. Correlation with age was higher in the Caucasian than the Malay races and within the Malaysian racial groups correlation with age was highest in the Malays and lowest in the Chinese. It is concluded that factors other than age may be important in the formation of sclerotic apical dentine in teeth of different racial origin. The effect of racial origin should be considered when using sclerosis as a means of age determination in forensic cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Dental Science, Dental School, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Whittaker
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bakri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D044466:Asian People; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology; D002681:China; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003804:Dentin / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003809:Dentin, Secondary / Q000473:pathology; D005553:Forensic Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007194:India; D008296:Malaysia; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents