title: Linear Odontometric Analysis of Permanent Dentition as A Forensic Aid: A Retrospective Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sex determination in forensic anthropology is an essential step for medico-legal purposes and crucial for identification as the number of possible matches is reduced to 50%. Teeth are an excellent material for anthropological, genetic, odontological and forensic investigations as they are known to resist a variety of ante-mortem and post-mortem insults. Sexual dimorphism in tooth size and the accuracy of odontometric sex prediction is found to vary in different population and therefore it is necessary to determine specific population values in order to make identification possible. Hence, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the existence of sexual dimorphism in South Kerala population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and estimate the degree of odontometric sexual dimorphism in all permanent teeth except third molars and the variations in odontometric dimensions between the left and right side teeth of the maxillary and mandibular arches in male and female groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  The MesioDistal (MD) and BuccoLingual (BL) measurements of 28 teeth were estimated from the preorthodontic casts of 132 subjects; male group (66 males) and female group (66 females) of age range 15-25 years using digital Verniers' Caliper. The data obtained were analysed using SPSS version 17 and the Students' t-test for two independent samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MesioDistal (MD) and BuccoLingual (BL) parameters of all permanent teeth in the study group showed sexual dimorphism. Over 39% of the tooth variables showed reverse dimorphism. The comparison of mean values of MD and BL diameters of the maxillary and mandibular, right and left side teeth in male and female groups showed statistical significance in males whereas females show non-significant values in both MD and BL diameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study showed a varied percentage of sexual dimorphism and variation in the mean values of MD and BL dimensions in males, but not in females between right and left side teeth of the maxillary and mandibular arches of the study population.
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Pushpagiri College of Dental Sciences , Kerala, India .
authors.forename: Sharlene Sara
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Babu
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Pushpagiri College of Dental Sciences , Kerala, India .
authors.forename: Sunil Sukumaran
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral Medicine & Radiology, Noorul Islam College of Dental Sciences , Kerala, India .
authors.forename: Devi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gopakumar
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Science & Research Centre , Kerala, India .
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kurian
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Pushpagiri College of Dental Sciences , Kerala, India .
authors.forename: Arjun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parameswar
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Pushpagiri College of Dental Sciences , Kerala, India .
authors.forename: Tibin Kaithappillil
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Baby
keywords: Buccolingual; Forensic; Mesiodistal; Odontometry; Sexual dimorphism