title: Gender determination by radiographic analysis of mental foramen in the Maharashtra population of India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Identification of gender is of primary importance in forensic investigations when only fragment of skull remains. Mandible is a hard bone and exhibits a high degree of sexual dimorphism. Gender differences were observed in the height of mandible, gonial angle, bigonial breadth, bicondylar breadth, and position of mental foramen (MF).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to evaluate gender differences in distances from superior border of MF (SMF) and inferior border of MF (IMF) to the lower border of mandible (LBM) and height of mandible in the Maharashtra population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 400 patients (200 males and 200 females) were considered for the study. The panoramic radiographs of patients were captured using Xtropan 2000 system and Carestream (T-Mat GIRA) films. The distance from SMF and IMF to the LBM and the height of mandible was measured.
  
  
  METHODS
  Unpairedt-test was applied to calculate the differences between the genders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distance from SMF and IMF to LBM and height of mandible was more in males when compared to females, which was statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The distances from SMF and IMF to the LBM and height of the mandible showed sexual dimorphism in the Maharashtra population of India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, School of Dental Sciences, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Deemed University, Karad, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Girish
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suragimath
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, School of Dental Sciences, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Deemed University, Karad, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ashwinirani
authors.affiliation: Oral Pathologist, Stem Cell Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundataion, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Vineetha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Christopher
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, MIDSR Dental College, Latur, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Shobha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bijjargi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School of Dental Sciences, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Deemed University, Karad, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Renuka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pawar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, School of Dental Sciences, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Deemed University, Karad, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nayak
keywords: Forensic odontology; lower border of mandible; mental foramen