title: Gender determination using diagonal measurements of maxillary molar and canine teeth in davangere population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mesiodistal and buccolingual measurements of the teeth have been the traditional means of determining gender which sometimes are difficult to measure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the degree of sexual dimorphism in upper permanent canines and first molars using diagonal diameters and to evaluate the applicability of diagonal measurements in sex determination.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mesiobuccal-distolingual (MBDL) and distobuccal-mesiolingual (DBML) measurements of the crown and cervix of maxillary canine and maxillary molar were taken using digital vernier callipers in 100 upper dental casts obtained from 50 males and 50 females of the age group of 17-25 y.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With step wise discriminant function analysis, results were statistically significant with males showing higher diagonal measurement values. The classification accuracy for males was 69% and in females was 73% with overall accuracy of 71%. RESULTS showed that canines exhibited highest accuracy with cervical measurements being more dimorphic. MBDL measurements were found to be more reliable. Most dimorphicmeasurements included right molar cervical MBDL, left molar cervical MBDL followed by right and left molar crown MBDL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In cases of tooth rotations, crowding, certain fillings and attritions where traditional mesio-distal and bucco-lingual measurements are not applicable, diagonal measurements could be of help in predicting gender.
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head of the Department, Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Bapuji Dental College & Hospital , Davanagere, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Ahmed B R
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Mujib
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Student, Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Bapuji Dental College & Hospital , Davanagere, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Ratna Kumari V N
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Tarigoppula
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Narketpally, Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: Pavan G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Deparemtnt of Oral Histology, Anil Neerukonda Institute of Dental Sciences , Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bs
keywords: Distobuccal-mesiolingual; Mesiobuccal-distolingual; Sexual dimorphism