Identification of an individual is a prerequisite for certification of death and for personal, social, and legal reasons. Sex determination is one of the important parameters in forensic identification. Tooth being strongest component can resist bacterial decomposition and fire when rest of the body is damaged beyond recognition. Sexual dimorphism refers to the systemic difference in the form between individuals of different sexes within the same species. Teeth of various species are known to exhibit sexual dimorphism. The present study aims to evaluate the linear dimensions of permanent molars and canines for sex determination and to estimate their level of accuracy.
Materials and methods
Sixty subjects were included in the study. Study casts were prepared and the dimensions of permanent canines and first permanent molars were measured as the greatest distance between the buccal and lingual surface as well as mesial and distal aspects of the crown by using digital vernier callipers.
Results
Discriminant function analysis had shown that males have greater mean mesio-distal (MD) and bucco lingual (BL)/ labio-lingual (LL) dimensions for each tooth in comparison to females. Right upper canine showed the maximum accuracy followed by right lower and left upper canines. Out of four molars, right lower molar showed maximum accuracy of 86.7%.
Conclusion
The present study showed the importance of linear dimensions of canines and molars in the assessment of sex and molars can be used as an alternative to canines when their evidence is missing in forensic investigations.
How to cite this article
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