title: Tooth cementum annulation for estimation of age-at-death in thermally altered remains.
abstract: Assessment of tooth cementum annulations (TCA) is acknowledged for its potential as a more accurate method for estimating age-at-death than conventional macroscopic methods typically employed. Thermal alteration of remains in a forensic context is not uncommon; however, the use of TCA in heat-treated remains has hitherto received no quantitative assessment of accuracy. This study applies TCA to a sample of modern teeth of known demographics after experimental heat treatment at 600, 800 and 1000°C. Cementum annulations do survive thermal alteration; however, their visibility is dependent on exposure temperature. Physical and chemical changes resulted in TCA being applicable to only 63.3% of samples. An overall correlation to known age of r = 0.522 (p < 0.05) was found, while correlations of r = 0.868 (p < 0.01), r = 0.249, and r = -0.185, were found for 600, 800, and 1000°C subsets, respectively. These results indicate that in teeth exposed to temperatures >600°C, TCA no longer yields accurate enough results to be of use in forensic investigations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, 174 W. 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Gocha
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schutkowski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000366:Age Determination by Teeth / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003739:Dental Cementum / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005553:Forensic Dentistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D012984:Software; D055815:Young Adult