Age estimation by pulp/tooth ratio in canines by mesial and vestibular peri-apical X-rays.
Changes in the size of the pulp canal, caused by apposition of secondary dentine, are the best morphometric parameters for estimating age by X-rays. The apposition of secondary dentine is the most frequently used method for age estimation in adult subjects. In two previous papers, we studied the application of the pulp/tooth area ratio by peri-apical X-rays as an indicator of age at death. The aim of the present study was to test the accuracy of age evaluation by combined analysis of labio-lingual and mesial peri-apical X-rays of lower and upper canines. A total of 200 such X-rays were assembled from 57 male and 43 female skeletons of Caucasian origin, aged between 20 and 79 years. For each skeleton, dental maturity was evaluated by measuring the pulp/tooth area ratio according to labio-lingual and mesial X-rays on upper (x(1), x(2)) and lower (x(3), x(4)) canines. Very good agreement was found between intra-observer measurements. Statistical analysis showed that all variables x(1), x(2), x(3), and x(4) and the first-order interaction between x(1) and x(3) contributed significantly to the fit, so that they were included in the regression model, yielding the following regression formula: Age = 120.737 - 337.112x(1) - 79.709x(2) - 364.534x(3) - 65.655x(4) + 1531.918x(1)x(3) . The residual standard error of estimated ages was 3.62 years, with 94 degrees of freedom, and the median of the residuals was -0.155 years, with an interquartile range of 4.96 years. The accuracy of the method was ME = 2.8 years, where ME is the mean prediction error. The model also explained 94% of total variance (R(2) = 0.94).
Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Macerata, Via Don Minzoni 9, 62100 Macerata, Italy. r.cameriere@unimc.it
Roberto
R
Cameriere
Luigi
L
Ferrante
Maria Giovanna
MG
Belcastro
Benedetta
B
Bonfiglioli
Elisa
E
Rastelli
Mariano
M
Cingolani
D000328:Adult; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D003481:Cuspid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005553:Forensic Dentistry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010486:Periapical Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012044:Regression Analysis