Age estimation by a dental method: a comparison of Lamendin's and Prince & Ubelaker's technique.
Lamendin et al. (J Forensic Sci 1992;37:1373) developed a general technique to estimate age of adults at death using two dental features: periodontosis and translucency of the tooth root. Prince and Ubelaker (J Forensic Sci 2002;47:107) modified this method, creating a formula for each sex and for different ancestries, and obtained more precise age estimations. In the present study, the validity of each method was tested in 45 males and 34 females of Spanish Caucasian origin, and a novel formula, based on Prince and Ubelaker method, was specifically developed for a population of mixed racial origin (mestizo) from Colombia, and findings obtained were again compared with those yielded by Lamendin adult dental aging technique. The Prince and Ubelaker method proved more accurate than the Lamendin technique in the Spanish Caucasian population, and our Prince and Ubelaker-based formula was also more accurate than the Lamendin et al. In both populations, the Lamendin method showed a higher mean error in estimations of the age of youngest and oldest individuals. These findings confirm the need to create specific formulas for each human group in order to obtain more accurate age estimates.
González-Colmenares
Gretel
G
Laboratory of Anthropology, Medicine Faculty, University of Granada, Avenue of Madrid 11, PO Box 18012, Granada, Spain.
Botella-López
Miguel C
MC
Moreno-Rueda
Gregorio
G
Fernández-Cardenete
Juan R
JR
D000328:Adult; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005553:Forensic Dentistry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D044465:White People