Sex Estimation Based on Tooth Measurements Using Panoramic Radiographs

Overview

Journal Int J Legal Med

Specialty Forensic Sciences

Date 2016 Aug 19

PMID 27534562

Citations 12

Authors

Cezar Capitaneanu

Guy Willems

Reinhilde Jacobs

Steffen Fieuws

Patrick Thevissen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Sex determination is an important step in establishing the biological profile of unidentified human remains.

Aim: The aims of the study were, firstly, to assess the degree of sexual dimorphism in permanent teeth, based on digital tooth measurements performed on panoramic radiographs. Secondly, to identify sex-related tooth position-specific measurements or combinations of such measurements, and to assess their applicability for potential sex determination.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred digital panoramic radiographs (100 males, 100 females; age range 22-34 years) were retrospectively collected from the dental clinic files of the Dentomaxillofacial Radiology Center of the University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium, and imported in image enhancement software. Tooth length- and width-related variables were measured on all teeth in upper and lower left quadrant, and ratios of variables were calculated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to quantify the sex discriminative value of the tooth position-specific variables and their combinations.

Results: The mandibular and maxillary canine showed the greatest sexual dimorphism, and tooth length variables had the highest discriminative potential. Compared to single variables, combining variables or ratios of variables did not improve substantially the discrimination between males and females.

Discussions And Conclusions: Considering that the discriminative ability values (area under the curve (AUC)) were not higher than 0.80, it is not advocated to use the currently studied dental variables for accurate sex estimation in forensic practice.

Citing Articles

Estimation of Sex From the Buccolingual Dimension of Tooth Among the North Indian Population.

Khan M, Verma M, Dwivedi P, Belal Hassan S, Verma A Cureus. 2024; 16(4):e58495.

PMID: 38765404 PMC: 11101605. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58495.

Canine sexual dimorphism in crown and root dimensions: a cone-beam computed tomographic study.

Tajik M, Movahhedian N J Forensic Odontostomatol. 2024; 42(1):12-21.

PMID: 38742568 PMC: 11154093. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11061431.

Accuracy comparison of tooth volume and mesiodistal diameter measurements for sex dimorphism based on cone-beam computed tomography: a study for the northern Chinese population.

Bu W, Ji L, Han M, Wu Z, Sultan B, Chen T Forensic Sci Res. 2023; 8(2):133-139.

PMID: 37621453 PMC: 10445665. DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owad004.

Artificial neural network model for predicting sex using dental and orthodontic measurements.

Anic-Milosevic S, Medancic N, Calusic-Sarac M, Dumancic J, Brkic H Korean J Orthod. 2023; 53(3):194-204.

PMID: 37226512 PMC: 10212777. DOI: 10.4041/kjod22.250.

Quantifying the potential of morphological parameters for human dental identification: part 2-selecting the strongest identifiers in mandibular permanent teeth.

Shu Y, De Tobel J, Jun C, Fieuws S, Thevissen P Int J Legal Med. 2022; 136(6):1821-1828.

PMID: 35701536 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-022-02851-9.

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