title: Age estimation in an Indian population using pulp/tooth volume ratio of mandibular canines obtained from cone beam computed tomography.
abstract: The present study assessed the suitability of pulp/tooth volume ratio of mandibular canines for age prediction in an Indian population. Volumetric reconstruction of scanned images of mandibular canines from 140 individuals (aged ten - 70 years), using computed tomography was used to measure pulp and tooth volumes. Age calculated using a formula reported earlier for a Belgian sample, resulted in errors > ten years in almost 86% of the study population. The regression equation obtained for the Indian population: Age = 57.18 + (- 413.41 x pulp/tooth volume ratio), was applied to an independent control group (n = 48), and this resulted in mean absolute errors of 8.54 years which was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those derived with the Belgian formula. The pulp/tooth volume ratio is a useful indicator of age, although correlations may vary in different populations and hence, specific formulae should be applied for the estimates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha University, 167, PH Road, Velappanchavadi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jagannathan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neelakantan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thiruvengadam
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Premkumar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Natesan
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Herald
authors.forename: H U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Luder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D003481:Cuspid / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009811:Odontometry / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult