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A modified Gustafson method of age estimation from teeth
Abstract
Modifications to the Gustafson method of age estimation from teeth are described. They are designed to minimise the subjective nature of the scoring technique and to quantify the regressive changes in the enamel, dentine and cementum. Randomly selected teeth from 25 Indians were examined by the Gustafson method and by our own modification. It was shown that our modified method resulted in more accurate and reproducible age estimations than did the original method.
... The resilience of dental tissue contributes significantly to the use of teeth as objects of interest in the estimation of age at death because of its resistance to environmental factors such as extreme temperatures and humidity. Past studies used mainly linear regression techniques in age estimation and relied on observational measurements taken on the teeth [2][3][4][5]. When the assumptions of this regression technique are not met, the model often overestimates (or underestimates) the age. ...
... These included periodontal recession, secondary dentin, apical translucency, root colour and root roughness of cementum. Periodontal recession, secondary dentin and apical translucency were measured using a seven point scoring system [5] whereas colour estimate and root roughness were measured using a five point scoring method [8]. ...
... Previous studies involving the use of dental data for estimation of age at death have relied on simple (and multiple) linear regression analysis [1][2][3][4][5]. These methods are appropriate, when the residuals are normally distributed, independent and have constant variance. ...
Abstract
Objective: The main objective of this paper is the estimation of age at death using subjective dental data. This is particularly useful in developing and under developed countries.
Methods: This study provides a framework for the estimation of age at death using very subjective measurements of the teeth using (i) Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) and (ii) Generalized Additive Models (GAMs). These predictors of age were all ordinal in nature. A dataset comprising measurements taken on 71 maxillary incisors from different individuals at the time of their death was used. A comparison of two models – the Gamma GLM and the Gamma GAM is used to illustrate the flexibility of this method and the predictive power of the statistical modelling process.
Results: The study showed the effectiveness of the models through the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) as well as the proportion of correct predictions within each of the age groups. The Gamma GAM actually had the higher AIC but the better predictive values within the age groups.
Conclusion: Statistical modelling caters for the types of data and can give reasonable predictions of age at death.
... When we talk of age estimation in adults' dentition, Gustafson's method [1] is still in practice by the forensic odontologists in medicolegal issues, although a lot number of modifications to this method have been described. Kashyap and Koteswara [4] modified Gustafson's criteria to make it more objective and feasible in skeletal remains. Root translucency [5,6] and incremental lines in cementum [7] have also proved to be promising methods. ...
... Four variables as given by Koteswara and Kashyap [4] such as attrition, secondary dentin deposition, cementum deposition at the root apex, dentin translucency were used to assess the age from the ground sections of teeth using image analysis. Both microscopic and macroscopic measurements were taken for the following parameters. ...
... Both microscopic and macroscopic measurements were taken for the following parameters. Calculations were carried out for attrition index, premolar and molar attrition index values, secondary dentin deposition, translucency of the root, and cementum apposition using same formulae as given by Koteswara and Kashyap [4] (Figure 6). ...
There are a variety of techniques for accurate estimation of age from teeth that offer a reasonable degree of accuracy, but it still remains a dilemma for the inexperienced practitioner to standardize a particular one. For this reason this study intends to standardize an age estimation method for the Indian population. Age estimation in this study was done by two established radiological methods like (Tooth Coronal index (TCI) and Kvaal’s method) and two histological techniques (Kashyaps and Koteswara modification of Gustafson’s method and secondary dentine method). A total of forty-one extracted teeth of varied age and gender, of known age, sex and teeth number were taken, photographed and numbered for blind fold study. A new technique of radiographic method using a modified paralleling technique with grid lines was employed. Radiological parameters such as “crown height”, “pulp height” and were measured for TCI whereas “height” and “width” at three different points were taken for Kvaal’s technique. Morphological parameters such as attrition, histological parameters such as secondary dentin, root transparency and cementum apposition were assessed from ground sections. TCI method was found to be the best radiologic and secondary dentin estimation was found to be the best histological techniques.
... Four variables as given by Koteswara and Kashyap [4] such as attrition, secondary dentin deposition, cementum deposition at the root apex, dentin translucency were used to assess the age from the ground sections of teeth using image analysis (Fig. 5). Both microscopic and macroscopic measurements were taken for the following parameters. ...
... Both microscopic and macroscopic measurements were taken for the following parameters. Calculations were carried out for attrition index, premolar and molar attrition index values, secondary dentin deposition, translucency of the root, and cementum apposition using same formulae as given by Koteswara and Kashyap [4]. ...
... Fig. (5). Measurement of secondary dentin formation and cementum thickness [4] by Image analysis. ...
... Graph 4: Distribution of cases as per age difference between actual and calculated age The mean age difference between actual and calculated age was less as compared to the Gustafson's original work which was ±3.63 years. The mean age difference between actual and calculated age was significant, but the difference was less as compared to those reported by previous workers like Dalitz [9] in 1962; Miles [10] in 1963; Bang and Ramm's [8] in 1970; Johanson [11] in 1971; Pillai and Bhaskar, [12] in 1974; Singh and Mukharjee [7] in 1985; and Lucy et al., [13] in 1996 except the work done by Kashyap and Rao [14] in 1990 and Singh and Gorea, [6] in 2004 [ Table 4]. ...
... The difference was more than the study done by Kashyap et al., (1990), where the average error was ±1.59 years which was attributed to using objective measurements and excluding the criteria like root resorption and periodontal assessment. All changes were scored as index values. ...
... All changes were scored as index values. [15] In our study the difference between estimated and actual age could have been reduced by considering some more factors like the inclusion of more precise objective measurements of secondary changes in teeth rather than scored in an arbitrary manner and considering the similar parameters as suggested by Kashyap et al., in 1990. ...
Background:
Age is an essential factor in establishing the identity of a person. Teeth are one of the most durable and resilient part of skeleton. Gustafson (1950) suggested the use of six retrogressive dental changes that are seen with increasing age.
Aim:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the results and to check the reliability of modified Gustafson's method for determining the age of an individual.
Materials and Methods:
Total 70 patients in the age group of 20-65 years, undergoing extraction were included in this present work. The ground sections of extracted teeth were prepared and examined under the microscope. Modified Gustafson's criteria were used for the estimation of age. Degree of attrition, root translucency, secondary dentin deposition, cementum apposition, and root resorption were measured. A linear regression formula was obtained using different statistical equations in a sample of 70 patients.
Results:
The mean age difference of total 70 cases studied was ±2.64 years. Difference of actual and calculated age was significant and was observed at 5% level of significance, that is, t-cal > t-tab (t-cal = 7.72). P < 0.05, indicates that the results were statistically significant.
Conclusion:
The present study concludes that Gustafson's method is a reliable method for age estimation with some proposed modifications.
... Later many authors modified this method [(G. Johanson (1971), V. K. Kashyap, N.R. Koteswar Rao (1990)] and showed better results by using multiple regression analyses 6 . ...
... Later many authors modified this method [(G. Johanson (1971), V. K. Kashyap, N.R. Koteswar Rao (1990)] and showed better results by using multiple regression analyses 6 . ...
Context: With respect to the recognition of an individual in forensic circumstances age assessment is an essential aspect. Teeth are considered to be least destructible part of the body under most conditions occurring in the nature like mass disasters. As the age advances, there will be physiological wearing away of the tooth due to tooth - tooth contacts, as in case of mastication. By knowing the level of attrition, age of an individual can be estimated. Microscopic investigation may not be achievable in certain instances and assessment of age relies on the sole examination of tooth by attrition. Aims: The aim of the research was meant to evaluate the age of individuals using Average Stage of Attrition (ASA) and Gustafson’s method and comparing efficacy of both the methods. Methods and Material: The study sample constituted 60 participants. Dental caries, restored crowns and patients with bruxism were excluded. The patients examined were in the age group of 35-60 years. Scores were evaluated by using Gustafson’s method and Average stage of attrition method. Statistical Analysis used: Regression Analysis. Results: The average stages of attrition and Gustafson’s scoring criteria were evaluated by conferring with the graduation standards. The data was collected and regression analyses were carried out for both the methods. By regression analysis, four regression equations for each method were obtained. Evaluation of attrition level and its accuracy in estimating the age by ASA method is more reliable than Gustafson’s attrition scoring.
... 8,26,27 On this point, our results also have shown very high correlation. On comparing results of this study with the other Indian studies alone, [27][28][29] the correlation values both in males and females were greater. Even though, Acharya and Vimi 27 showed a moderate correlation of translucency length with age, their findings were not truly reflected in our study. ...
... Even though, Acharya and Vimi 27 showed a moderate correlation of translucency length with age, their findings were not truly reflected in our study. The possible difference between the results of our study to previous ones [27][28][29] is that; firstly, 300 sections used in the present study (relatively larger sample size) and secondly, coverage of wider range from younger age groups to the older with reasonably equal distribution of age groups and number of sections as per sex in each age group. ...
The main intention of this article was to evaluate the reliability of root dentine translucency (RDT) and the width of cementum (CW) in indicating the age over 55 years in forensic and criminal investigations. 600 non-restored, single rooted teeth (300 males and 300 females) which were extracted for periodontal or orthodontic reasons were collected. Each tooth was sectioned longitudinally until the desired thickness (250 µm) was obtained. Both the length of the RDT and CW were measured from these unstained ground sections of teeth using ImageJ computer software. Pearson's correlation coefficient indicated a very strong and positive correlation for RDW and CW with age in both sexes. Cut-off values of RDT= 7.07 and CW= 52.06 were obtained using the maximum Youden's index. The value for the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.987 for RDT and 0.910 for CW was seen as indicating a very high discrimination. The performance of these cut-off values was tested in a separate sample of sectioned teeth (n= 300) and was analyzed using contingency tables in both sexes. The sensitivity was 88.2% and 92.3%, while specificity was 98.9% for RDT in males and females. For CW, the sensitivity was 96.1% and 90.3%, and specificity was 76.7% and 74.4% in males and females, respectively. Bayes post-test probability was 98.9% for RDT in both sexes, while 80.5% in males and 78% in females, for CW. Based on our study findings, it can be concluded that both variables have performed well in predicting the age over 55 years. Further research concerning the radiographic study of secondary dentine deposition to predict legal age thresholds would be a great benefit for living adults who require age estimation in civil proceedings.
... Bang and Ramm's method is based on a single parameter-dentin translucency and obtained an error estimate of ±4.7 years (Bang and Ramm 1971). Amongst the modified methods, Kashyap and Koteshwar method is considered accurate and most reproducible method; hence most accepted (Kashyap and Koteshwar Rao 1990). Table 1 shows all the modifications of Gustafson's method (Bang and Ramm 1971;Kashyap and Koteshwar Rao 1990;Gustafson 1950;Dalitz 1962;Johanson 1971;Maples and Rice 1979;Lamendin et al. 1992;Solheim 1993). ...
... Amongst the modified methods, Kashyap and Koteshwar method is considered accurate and most reproducible method; hence most accepted (Kashyap and Koteshwar Rao 1990). Table 1 shows all the modifications of Gustafson's method (Bang and Ramm 1971;Kashyap and Koteshwar Rao 1990;Gustafson 1950;Dalitz 1962;Johanson 1971;Maples and Rice 1979;Lamendin et al. 1992;Solheim 1993). ...
Background
Age estimation has been an integral part of forensic science, and age estimation by dental means is by far the most commonly employed method. Dental age estimation in children is more accurate and straightforward as most methods use the chronological stages of odontogenesis that are highly systematic, reducing the chances of dispersed results. In contrast, estimation of age in adults becomes tricky and less accurate with varied approaches since tooth formation is already complete.
Main body
The methods of adult dental age estimation have come a long way from a calculated guess based on crude visual observation of teeth to radiological methods and to more recent sophisticated methods. Technological advances have opened up molecular and genetic methods by utilizing DNA methylation and telomere length to improve the accuracy of age estimation by reducing error chances.
Conclusions
Although dental age estimation methods in children and adolescents have been extensively reviewed, various adult age estimation methods are not reviewed as a whole. The aim of this review is to appraise the evolution of dental age estimation methods in adults over the years from mere visualization of dental attrition to employing more sophisticated means such as radioactive carbon dating and genetics. This comprehensive review also attempts to add an account of the accuracy and suitability of various adult dental age estimation methods.
... Fifth condition, to measure the transparency zone, direct techniques have been used on the sectioned tooth [18,19,20,21,22] and indirect techniques, where observations are made on the intact tooth [4,5,6,9,11,23,24,25]. The evaluations have been quantified by subjective indices [18,19], directly measuring translucency [26], measuring the area of translucency [27], the translucency expressed over the length of the tooth [21], the area of the translucency expressed over the area of the root [20,25], and the height of the translucency expressed over the length of the root [4,5,11]. ...
... Fifth condition, to measure the transparency zone, direct techniques have been used on the sectioned tooth [18,19,20,21,22] and indirect techniques, where observations are made on the intact tooth [4,5,6,9,11,23,24,25]. The evaluations have been quantified by subjective indices [18,19], directly measuring translucency [26], measuring the area of translucency [27], the translucency expressed over the length of the tooth [21], the area of the translucency expressed over the area of the root [20,25], and the height of the translucency expressed over the length of the root [4,5,11]. Drusini et al., [25] compared two techniques to measure root translucency, one of them using computerized densitometric technology and on the other hand a simple calibrator; the aforementioned techniques were applied to a sample of 152 teeth, including incisors, canines and premolars. ...
From a forensic perspective, estimation age-at-death in adults is a constant problem that impacts the development of investigations regarding the unidentified dead bodies and the need to identify them. Several procedures for estimation age-at-death in adults have been introduced in Peru, and are used in various fields such as bioarcheology and forensics, but very little is known about the levels of precision and accuracy of these procedures. The methods derived from the Lamendin technique have been widely used in Peru since the beginning of the year 2000, which have been validated and the levels of applicability and confidence of the method are known. However, a new estimation system using the Lamendin technique has been developed through a Bayesian model. This model stores the information measured in a Forensic International Dental Database (FIDB) that contains information of several populations which also contributes to assessing the levels of applicability of the procedure. In this way there is more information that can contribute to strengthen the calculation and the final results. The results of this research have shown that the Bayesian model has a homogeneous behavior when it is applied in the Peruvian population, it even adjusts better than the procedures designed for the Peruvian specific population. Our research recommends using the Bayesian model for the forensic estimation of age in this population. Use of the Lamendin’s technique and its methodological derivatives may be candidates to start thinking about the global standardization of the method based on forensic Quality Management criteria, which include but are not limited to, interlaboratory measurement controls, calibration of measurement sources, application procedure guides.
... Kashyap and Koteswara Rao, who modified Gustafson's method claimed an average error in age estimation as low as 1.59 years in his study was considered slightly superior to Johanson method followed in the present study. [20] Bommannavar and Kulkarni in his comparative study using dentin translucency as indicator for age estimation showed the better efficiency of the digital method to estimate age when compared with the calliper method. The age estimated was within ±5 years in 70% of the cases, where only 24% of cases were estimated to within ±5 years with the caliper method. ...
... [24] However, Johanson's sectioned method under stereomicroscope showed highest accuracy and precision with mean age error of ±0.48 years less than mean age error obtained in the present study. The mean difference between the actual age and estimated age was significant, but the difference was less compared to those reported by the previous studies by Gustafson [2] in 1950; Bang and Ramm's [18] in 1970; Pillai and Bhaskar [10] in 1974; Singh and Mukharjee [24] in 1985; Kashyap and Koteswara Rao [20] in 1990; Lamendin et al. [6] in 1992; Solheim [25] in 1993; Lucy et al. [14] in 1996, and Singh et al. [1] in 2014 [ Table 6]. ...
Introduction
Age has been considered as a reliable marker for establishing the identity of a person in the field of forensic medicine. Teeth are useful skeletal indicators of age at death since it can survive for decades. Nondestructive methods ensure the evident preservation of dental hard tissues that reflect age changes from the cradle to the grave. Therefore, an attempt was made for estimating the age using the nondestructive method.
Aims and Objectives
The aim of this study to assess whether physiological changes of the teeth allow possible correlation for accurate age estimation and to establish a graduation standard by microscopic observation for a better age correlation.
Materials and Methods
The study was carried on 209 teeth samples extracted for orthodontic treatment or periodontal diseases comprised both maxillary and mandibular teeth across different age groups. The assessment of these changes was carried out by well-established standard methods with some proposed modifications.
Results
Pearson correlation analyses revealed root dentin translucency with the highest correlation (r = 0.97) followed by periodontal ligament attachment (r = 0.95), root dentin color (r = 0.95), and attrition being the least correlated (r = 0.90). All the parameters taken for the study contributed to stepwise linear regression analysis (R = 0.98; P < 0.01) indicating a strongly positive relationship between age and the changes observed. A regression formula was obtained with mean error age difference ±1.0 years.
Conclusion
The present study showed that extracted tooth is highly significant in identifying the age without being sectioned or further processed and also signifies the use of microscope for observation of these changes, thus reducing the errors of calibrating the age.
... This is especially true when the police or the investigators already have a putative age; a forensic age estimation that is close to the presumed age provides clarity in the line of investigation [1]. Since Gustafson's scoring system [2] for estimation of chronological age from human teeth, there have been several reports on improved methodologies [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] including digital techniques in this field [1]. However, some of these methods require tooth extraction and preparation of microscopic sections of teeth. ...
... The study was based on 250 randomly selected {125 pairs (95 pairs for the reference group and 30 pairs for the test group)} maxillary and mandibular full arch casts obtained from heterogeneous samples of males and females (53 males, 72 females) belonging to Chinese Malaysian origin, ranging in age from 20 to 60 years. The study samples were further divided into four groups (20- Wear on more than 2/3 of occlusal surfaces (5) 1Pc/1Lc 1Pc/1Lc/2Pc/2Lc (6) 2Pc/2Lc/1Sc/1Bc 3Pc/3Lc/4Pc/4Lc/1Sc/1Bc/2Sc/2Bc (7) 2Sc/2Bc 3Sc/3Bc/4Sc/4Bc (8) Concavity on more than 2/3 of occlusal surfaces (9) Filling, * caries, * crown (all teeth) (10) Missing, stump of tooth, pontic, denture (all teeth) * If the extent of the filling materials or caries does not exceed 1/3 of the occlusal surface so that the degree of occlusal wear can be determined, the pertinent score should be given; P, point like wear facet less than ca. 1 mm in diameter; L, linear wear facet less than ca. 1 mm in width; S, surface like wear facet greater than ca. 1 mm in diameter; B, band like wear facet greater than ca. 1 mm in width or wear facet involving more than two surface like wear facets; "c" (concavity), the wear of dentin; in the situation where a tooth has several different degrees of occlusal wear, the highest degree should be selected as the occlusal wear score. ...
Background and Objective
Evaluation of dental attrition is an easy and relatively accurate approach to estimating the age of an adult either ante- or postmortem for some specific population. Dental attrition represents a progressive physiological age change that can be measured using variety of indices to aid as an adjunct in forensic age estimation. Some of the previously proposed indices have their own practical limitations. This paper focuses on using modified Kim's criteria to score dental attrition to estimate the age of Chinese Malaysian adults and validate it.
Methodology
Tooth wear was evaluated on 190 dental models of Chinese Malaysian adults (age range: 20–60 years) using modified Kim's index to custom-derive a population specific linear equation. The same equation was validated further on new 60 dental casts.
Results and Conclusion
Regression analysis revealed good correlation between age and teeth wear and lower standard error of estimate. Test of regression on a test sample (n = 30 pairs, age range: 20–60 years) showed insignificant difference between predicted versus the actual age with statistically acceptable mean absolute difference. These data suggest that modified Kim's index can be used effectively in forensic age estimation.
... The estimation of age performed on the basis of histological examination and evaluation of morphological changes in hard tooth tissues was believed to be one of the most reliable methods, yet it has become the subject of heavy criticism especially when used with past populations (Brùek, Novotný 1999;Kilian et al. 1984;Vlèek, Kilian 1975). Nevertheless, the principle of the histological evaluation of the changes introduced by Gustafson has become the basis for all other techniques which aim at the increase of precision of measurement (Kilian 1986;Kashyap and Koteswara Rao 1990). ...
... This method takes advantage of index values of various parameters of examined changes (i.e. A; D; C and T), which are calculated by relating the measured change to a fixed measurement of the tooth (Kashyap, Koteswara Rao 1990). ...
Our research is based on the confrontation of modifications of Gustafsons aging method with the aim of producing of up to date identification tables for practical anthropology. Sixty three ground sections were evaluated following the methods of Kilian and Kashyap Koteswara Rao. Kilians method is based on the subjective evaluation of six markers: the degree of attrition, the secondary dentine, the secondary cementum, the resorption, the transparency and the position of epithelial attachment. Future study, the evaluation of the position of epithelial attachment was not taken into account. Kashyap and Koteswara Raos method is based on the quantitative evaluation of four markers: the abrasion, the secondary dentine, the secondary cementum and the transparency. The best results of age estimation were obtained using the Kilians method after multiple regression of all studied changes were applied (absolute mean error of estimation 4.97years 95% CI±1.00). The identification tables were produced using the mutual relationship of the sum of point values and age (absolute mean error of estimation 6.58 years 95% CI±1.14years). Whenever any of the variables are not included, the error of estimation increases. These methods do not estimate the actual age in years, but only class the individuals in relatively broad categories.
... Uno de los indicadores dentales de edad que ha recibido una atención considerable en estas últimas décadas ha sido la translucidez radicular (Garizoain et al., 2020), siendo Gustafson (1950) el primero en utilizarlo a partir de un enfoque multivariante, posteriormente, Maples (1978) redujo las variables que utilizaba el método Gustafson debido a que algunas eran más fiables respecto a otras, por lo que en su fórmula de regresión lineal solo se incluyó a las variables translucidez radicular y dentina secundaria. Por otra parte, Kashyap y Koteswara (1990) propusieron el uso de índices de valor basados en mediciones físicas dentales reales para minimizar las dificultades inherentes a la cuantificación de las mediciones de las variables que utilizaba el método Gustafson; años más tarde, Lamendin et al. (1992) tomo en consideración a estos tres estudios y formuló un nuevo método basado en el analisis de la translucidez radicular y la recesión gingival. El método Lamendin ha recibido una atención considerable en la ciencia forense debido a que su aplicación no requiere de instalaciones especiales, experiencia en laboratorios de bioquímica, preparación dental o un entrenamiento especial (Soomer et al., 2003;Prince, 2004). ...
El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la exactitud del método Ubelaker y Parra desarrollada en el año 2008, el cual es empleado como estimador de edad en una muestra de población adulta contemporánea extraída de la provincia de Cusco, departamento de Cusco - Perú. Para tal fin se aplicó
la ecuación de regresión lineal generada por este estudio, con una muestra de 43 piezas dentales extraídas de esqueletos con un rango de edad entre
30 a 73 años, conformada por 25 individuos masculinos y 4 femeninos. La aplicación de este método implicó la medición de tres características dentales
que permitió obtener la edad dental estimada. Una vez conocida la edad cronológica al tiempo de muerte de la muestra de este estudio, se evaluó
la exactitud de este método sobre los márgenes de error descubiertos. Los errores medios de estimación de este método, que fueron obtenidos
en la presente investigación, no muestran diferencias significativas en individuos que están en un rango de edad de 30 a 49 años, ahora bien, en edades superiores a estas, en particular en individuos más ancianos, la variación es muy notable y las diferencias sí alcanzan a ser significativas.
El error absoluto total descubierto en este estudio fue de 11.18 años, por lo que la exactitud de este método aplicado sobre una población especifica es
confiable.
... An + Sn + Pn + Cn + Rn + Tn = X An increase or decrease in the total score would result in an increase or decrease in age, respectively. [9] Gleiser and Hunt method ...
Introduction: Age estimation is an important factor in biological identification in forensic
science. It assists in narrowing the search possibilities for unidentified deceased or living
individuals for legal purposes. Teeth are the strongest structures in the human body and are
protected by the soft and hard tissues. Thus, the dental structures are highly resistant to external
factors. There are three main types of age. They are physiological age, pathological age, and
chronological age. This research is needed to improve the knowledge on age estimation methods
used in dentistry. This research also fulfills the deficiency of work on knowledge about age
estimation methods.
Aim: This study aims to create awareness about the age estimation methods used in dentistry
and to make mindfulness about the age estimation methods used in dentistry.
Materials and Methods: The method involved in this study was an online survey of
questionnaires, which involves assessing the awareness and knowledge on radiographs used
in dentistry. Approval from the institutional ethical committee and informed consent from
the participants were obtained. The total number of participants was 100. The data collected
were exported to Google Sheets and were analyzed by using the software SPSS version 23. The P value is 0.00.
Conclusion: Among the population, postgraduate students have higher awareness and knowledge
than the undergraduate students.
... [28,30,37,42,49,57,58,88,89]. RDT has proven to be an important physiological marker of aging and it is only remotely influenced by pathological disorders [39,42,90] or other factors, including biomechanical [56], environmental, cultural, and genetic factors [33,56], contrary to what happens with periodontal retraction [91][92][93]. Ubelaker and Parra [55] noted that this indicator of periodontal disease must be appropriately considered for forensic context. ...
Estimation of the age-at-death in adults is essential when the identification of deceased persons with unknown identity is required in both humanitarian and judicial contexts. However, the methodologies and the results obtained can be questioned. Various efforts have been developed to adjust procedures to specific populations, always seeking the precision and accuracy of the methodologies. It is known that the estimation of the age-at-death in adults coexists with wide margins of error, due to several reasons, including but not limited to statistical problems, the size of the sample or the physiological process of aging.
This research focuses on a degenerative indicator of the dentin (Root Dentin Translucency) and its combination with Periodontal Height (PH) following the Lamendin’s technique for estimation of the age- at-death in adults. The main objective of this research was to demonstrate the applicability of a Bayesian model based on a Forensic International Dental Database (FIDB) that include Root Translucency Height (RTH) and PH as a method to age-at-death in adults. The conclusion of this research was that the combined both indicators become a generalizable age-at-death in adults model for all human populations, where the Bayesian method would offer optimal results in any population. In this way, those populations that do not have had the possibility of validating a specific procedure, now have the opportunity to apply a valid method for estimating age-at-death in adults to global scope.
... Several methods have been employed for this purpose, and a range of results have been obtained. 7 In 1995, Kvaal invented a non-destructive technique for age estimation based on measurement of dental pulp and root space in 6 radiographic types, which have been adopted by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. 3 This technique is completely based on measurements of radiographic images and does not depend on other factors such as root transparency and periodontal retraction and therefore no tooth extraction is required. ...
Background and Objective: Identifying age in anthropology and forensic medicine and examining the proper development of children and adolescents is important. Age estimation techniques using teeth are of particular value. This study tends to evaluate the accuracy of age estimation by Kvaal technique using CBCT images of mandibular canine teeth in a sample of Iranian population.
... + (5.14 × A) + (2.3 × S) + (4.14 × P) + gingival recession and root resorption. [12] However, Ajmal et al.'s [13] results suggest that method of Kashyap is inferior to that of Johanson. They attribute this to the difficulty in obtaining secondary dentin and cementum apposition measurements. ...
Age estimation is one of the essential factors in human identification. Teeth bestowed with features such as hardness and resilience to external factors such as chemicals, putrefaction, and fire explosions serve as a durable source in age estimation. Concurrently, they present with peculiar and comparable features of age-associated regressive changes along with dental procedures, which make them a mirror reflection of age changes from cradle to the grave of an individual. Age estimation in adults poses an enigma to the forensic dentists because as the age advances, the dentitions get influenced by numerous exogenous and endogenous factors which may lead to discrepancies between dental age and chronologic age. Since 1950, many authors have presented various methods for assessing age of individuals above 18 years. Here is an overview of the different methods with their application and limitations along with a mention of newer methods developed and tested with the formulation of population-specific formulas by Indian authors. The data have been sourced from different journal articles retrieved through Google Scholar and PubMed Central and articles received as study materials during the fellowship program in forensic odontology using keywords such as age estimation, adult dentitions, dentin translucency, and cementum annulations.
... Biological material for DNA profiling is obtained from all unidentified cadavers in order to assist their potential identification, while in all identified cadavers the same procedure is performed in order to confirm their details. Biological samples for DNA testing (teeth, bone samples) are taken regardless of whether cadavers are in putrefaction or not [1,24,25]. ...
The area of the regional unit of Evros in northern Greece is considered the main gateway to the East and marks the end of the European territory and the beginning of the Asian continent. The natural boundary of the Evros River has been the last major obstacle to overcome before entering the Schengen area for hundreds of thousands of migrants on the eastern Mediterranean route. The river stands, however, for the main place of death for thousands of people who try to enter the country, and therefore the European Union, illegally.
The international social, political and economic conditions that prevail at times often determine the flows of migration on the eastern Mediterranean route and eastern land border of Greece into the European Union.
On the Greek side of the Greek-Turkish border, for the last nineteen years, 398 cadavers of deceased migrants have been recovered. The majority of the illegal immigrants, or asylum seekers, who pass away in the Evros region are found after several days, weeks or even months. The diagnoses of the causes of death and the determination of the time of death are questions the coroner seeks to answer. Consequently, as the majority of the deceased are in an advanced state of putrefaction, the identification and attribution of the corpses to their relatives become matters of crucial importance and a high degree of difficulty. Until today, drowning in the Evros River remains the leading cause of death among border-related death incidents.
The present article aims to depict the humanitarian disaster as it unfolds in the regional unit of Evros in northern Greece and the easternmost land border of the European Union along the Mediterranean route as well as the contribution of forensic science to the possible extent.
... Additional information on the deceased was derived from arrested migrants belonging to the same border-crossing groups. The estimation of age was produced using Gustafson's method for age determination from teeth (Haertig, Crainic, and Durigon, 1985;Lamendin, 1988;Kashyap and Koteswara, 1990;Olze et al., 2012). Biological material was procured from all unidentified corpses to facilitate potential identification, whereas all identified cadavers underwent DNA sampling to confirm details. ...
The land borders of Evros, Greece, have been a common entry point for undocumented migrants on their way to Europe through Turkey. Adverse conditions, however, have resulted in many human casualties over the years. On the Greek side, 334 cadavers were retrieved between 2000 and 2014. This study provides a detailed forensic account of the humanitarian disaster in Evros to create an official scientific record of the situation. It showcases the gravity of the global issue of migration relating to health and mortality, and encourages communication and continual improvement of the approach and patterns of practices surrounding the subject. A retrospective statistical research review was conducted of border‐related fatalities between 2000 and 2014, assessing the age and gender of victims, the cause of death, the location of bodies, identification rates, and country of origin. Age ranged generally from 24 to 29 years, but infants and children were among the deceased.
... The estimation of age has been attempted using Gustafson's method, 70 Demirjian's criteria, 71 Kvaal's technique 72 and Nolla's method, 73 The studies have shown that the models derived are specific to the population for which they are derived. [74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82] Stature estimation. The estimation of stature from human skeletal remains is an important part of the identification process. ...
Forensic anthropology deals with the identification of human remains in a legal setting. The primary role of a forensic anthropologist is to evaluate human skeletal remains and ascertain the biological profile of the deceased. Forensic anthropologists thus use their expertise to assist medical examiners, as well as law enforcement agencies. Forensic anthropology was not recognised as a subject specialty of much significance in most parts of the world for a long time. However, now its status has changed, mostly in the USA and parts of Europe. The scope of the subject ranges from evaluation of human skeletal remains to the identification of the living. In the new millennium, the role of forensic anthropologists includes disaster victim identification, photographic superimposition, facial image reconstruction in CCTV footage, gait pattern analysis from video surveillance, ascertaining the age of an individual in absence of legal documents and paedo-pornographic materials. Despite its relevance in human identification, the development of forensic anthropology in India is not very encouraging. Only a few institutions in India include forensic anthropology as a part of the forensic science degree programme, and there are no certified courses in anthropology either. Likewise, there are limited employment opportunities for forensic anthropologists in medical institutes/organisations/universities. This comprehensive review focuses on the status and development of forensic anthropology in India and emphasises the need for its recognition as a specialty of significance. The article also throws light on the comparison of its status in the Indian context vis a vis developed nations.
... Biological material (DNA) was obtained from all cadavers in order to assist or confirm their identification. Additional information was provided by the relevant military-police authorities and border guard agencies as well as eyewitnesses [11,12]. ...
Over the last five years, 153 cadavers of illegal migrants have been found on the Greek side of the eastern land borders of the European Union. The most common causes of death were drowning and hypothermia. Most of the cadavers were decomposed due to the extensive duration of their remaining at the riverbed or in the remotely located sites in northern Greece.
The vast majority (95 out of 153) of those cadavers bore postmortem injuries of varied severity, depending on the qualitative characteristics of the death site (such as the medium in which the body lies and ambient temperature), type of animals acting upon them and duration of their exposure to the natural environment.
Post-mortem injuries constitute a particular forensic issue as for their differentiation from ante-mortem injuries, especially in illegal migrants’ death cases due to the fact that cadavers are usually in progressed putrefaction. As no documents are carried, these cases are even more complicated, as post-mortem injuries render the issue of identification even harder.
... It has been noted that more the value of X and more is age. [4]. Their modified method gave an error of + 1.59 years and Spearman coefficient value of 0.998. ...
... [39] Bajpai et al. conducted modified Gustafson's technique in an Indian population with a sample of 228 extracted teeth and Kashyap and Koteswara Rao are forerunners of modified Gustafson's method in the Indian population in 1990. [39,40] Bajpai et al. established a positive correlation between age and total scores of physiological dental changes. [39] In the present review, the author has excluded studies of Gustafson's method using radiography which comes under oral medicine and radiology speciality. ...
Forensic odontology is the subdiscipline of dentistry which analyses dental
evidence in the interest of justice. Oral pathology is the subdiscipline of dentistry
that deals with the pathology affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions.
This subdiscipline is utilized for identification through oral and maxillofacial
pathologies with associated syndromes, enamel rod patterns, sex determination
using exfoliative cytology, identification from occlusal morphology of teeth, and
deoxyribonucleic acid profiling from teeth. This subdiscipline is also utilized
for age estimation studies which include Gustafson’s method, incremental lines
of Retzius, perikymata, natal line formation in teeth, neonatal line, racemization
of collagen in dentin, cemental incremental lines, thickness of the cementum,
and translucency of dentin. Even though the expertise of an oral pathologist is
not taken in forensic investigations, this paper aims to discuss the role of oral
pathology in forensic investigation.
... Forensic Odontology is a branch of forensic science and odontology which is based on the observation and examination of teeth and presentation of dental evidence in the field of law [7]. In many instances, age estimation using teeth is the sole means of identification when the skull is all that remains of the human skeleton [8]. Teeth have been used for estimating age more than 170 years ago when emergence of teeth was first used for determining age in relation to child labour. ...
The present investigation proposed a generalized linear model with the aim at finding an effective statistical model for human age estimation at death using solely dental data.
... Therefore, a number of approaches to age determination, e.g. evaluation of radiographic images, 4,5 dental structure, [6][7][8] Gustafson's method, 9 Lamendin's method, 10,11 and aspartic acid racemization, 12,13 use tooth development stages as a more logical factor. Among the many advanced imaging technologies and radiographic images utilized to estimate age, viz. ...
Background and aims. Tooth development is widely used in determining age and state of maturity. Dental age is of high importance in forensic and pediatric dentistry and also orthodontic treatment planning .The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of four radiographic age estimation methods.
Materials and methods. Orthopantomographic images of 537 healthy children (age: 3.9-14.5 years old) were evaluated. Dental age of the subjects was determined through Demirjian’s, Willem’s, Cameriere’s, and Smith’s methods. Differences and correlations between chronological and dental ages were assessed by paired t-tests and Pearson’s correlation analysis, respectively.
Results. The mean chronological age of the subjects was 8.93 ± 2.04 years. Overestimations of age were observed following the use of Demirjian’s method (0.87 ± 1.00 years), Willem’s method (0.36 ± 0.87 years), and Smith’s method (0.06 ± 0.63 years). However, Cameriere’s method underestimated age by 0.19 ± 0.86 years. While paired t-tests revealed significant differences between the mean chronological age and ages determined by Demirjian’s, Willem’s, and Cameriere’s methods (P < 0.001), such a significant difference was absent between chronological age and dental age based on Smith’s method (P = 0.079). Pearson’s correlation analysis suggested linear correlations between chronological age and dental age determined by all four methods.
Conclusion. Our findings indicated Smith’s method to have the highest accuracy among the four assessed methods. How-ever, all four methods can be used with acceptable accuracy.
... Volume 2 | Issue 5 These modifications were done by Kilian's method [29] which is based on the evaluation of six markers: the degree of attrition, the secondary dentin, the secondary cementum, the resorption, the transparency and the position of epithelial attachment. However, Kashyap and Koteswara [30]; modified Gustafson's criteria to make it more objective; it is based on the quantitative evaluation of four markers: the abrasion, the secondary dentin, the secondary cementum and the transparency. ...
... Kashyap and Koteswara Rao [14] omitted periodontosis and root resorption from Gustafson's method and calculated the index values of various parameters undergoing regressive changes. ...
One of the interesting applications of forensic odontology is age estimation by means of teeth. Age assessment proves to be a critical factor in the victim identification process. Teeth display a number of observable age related variables and they tend to remain intact under circumstances, which might alter or obliterate the rest of the skeleton. The procedures for age determination are complex. Different methods are
used to estimate age. The purpose of this article is to familiarize about different techniques used to estimate age by means of teeth.
... A calibration of the age change against chronological age in one population can be used to yield the age of another sample from a different population, if the rates of ageing are the same in both populations. Of the age related changes in the mature dentition, the extent of root dentine transparency (RDT), derived from such models, has most closely correlated with chronological age of the individual and so found to be useful in forensic medicine (Gustafson, 1950;Whittaker & MacDonald, 1989;Kashyap & Koteswara Rao, 1990). ...
Many workers have calibrated human root dentine transparency (RDT) as a linear regression on age. It is now regarded as a well-established means of estimating age at death in modern human material. Similar applications in archaeological material have not yet been developed. The aim of this study was to establish a standard protocol for measuring RDT which was derived from previous methods and which could be applied to teeth of unknown and varying antiquity. An initial study on two archaeological populations determined the choice of tooth to study and a second study, using expendable teeth (of unknown age and origin), evaluated various techniques of specimen preparation and examination. Findings from the pilot study indicated that the lower canine was the tooth of choice. From the second study it was observed that archaeological teeth could only be sectioned if they had first been infiltrated and embedded in methyl methacrylate. The optimal section thickness was found to be 150μm and no benefit was gained by staining. Inter-observer reliability tests showed significant differences in repeated measures of RDT in intact teeth, which were not borne out when sectioned teeth were used. Intra-observer reliability was maintained for measurements in both intact and sectioned teeth. These findings have been used to establish a standard protocol for application to human teeth of any depositional phase to estimate the dental age at death of that individual.
... Bone remodelling at an adult femoral midshaft can provide an estimate of biological age (Kerley, 1965;Robling and Stout, 2000) until "the number of accumulated osteons eventually reaches an asymptote as newly created osteons remove all observable traces of earlier osteons" (Chamberlain, 2006: 111). Age can also be estimated based upon the histological evaluation of degenerative processes in the dentition, including root dentine translucency and sclerosis, the formation of secondary dentine, and periodontitis or gingival recession (Alt et al., 1998;Burns and Maples, 1976;Gustafson, 1950;Johanson, 1971; Kashyap and Rao, 1990;Lamendin and Cambray, 1981;Lamendin, 1992;Lopez-Nicolas et al., 1990Lopez-Nicolas and Luna, 1991;Lucy et al., , 1996Maples, 1978;Maples and Rice, 1979;Solheim, 1989Solheim, , 1990Solheim, , 1993Solheim and Sundnes, 1980). Taphonomic processes limit the accuracy of many of these techniques in archaeological samples; for example, dentine translucency age estimates can be exaggerated by post-depositional mineralization infiltrating the dentine tubules, causing substantially inflated age estimates (Robbins et al., 2004). ...
One of the principal problems facing palaeodemography is age estimation in adult skeletons and the centrist tendency that affects many age estimation methods by artificially increasing the proportion of individuals in the 30-45-year age category. Several recent publications have indicated that cementum annulations are significantly correlated with known age of extraction or death. This study addresses the question of how demographic dynamics are altered for an archaeological sample when cementum-based age estimates are used as opposed to those obtained via conventional macroscopic methods. Age pyramids were constructed and demographic profiles were compared for the early Holocene skeletal population from Damdama (India). The results demonstrate that the use of cementum annulations for age estimation in only a subset of the skeletal sample has a significant impact on the demographic profile with regard to specific parameters such as mean age at death and life expectancy at birth. This confirms the importance of using cementum annulations to refine age estimates in archaeological samples, which, when combined with a fertility-centred approach to demography, can provide new insights into population dynamics in the past.
... Few age estimation studies on Indians exist, in particular, those that address the issue of adult post-mortem age assessment. Previous reports have examined the usefulness of Gustafson's parameters [11,12] while some authors have proposed a quantitative evaluation of these variables [13]; more recently, the use of specific parameters for adult age assessment in this population have also been explored141516. None of these studies, however, have addressed the issue of estimating age on extracted unsectioned tooth specimens using multiple parameters. ...
Teeth are useful indicators of age-at-death and non-destructive methods ensure preservation of dental evidentiary material which could be used for court presentation. No previous data exists on estimating age from extracted teeth per se in Indians. This paper examined four parameters-dental attrition, periodontal ligament (PDL) attachment level, root dentin translucency and root color-on a heterogeneous sample of 106 teeth extracted from as many subjects (age range = 20-78 years). A number of well-established methods that used both visual grading and measurements were utilized in assessing these changes. Linear and stepwise regression analyses revealed low correlation (r/R = 0.05-0.46) and high standard errors of estimate (± 13.1-4.6 years). PDL attachment level graded using the visual criteria showed the strongest correlation (r = 0.45), possibly owing to dietary habits in Indians contributing to consistent gingival recession with aging; dentinal translucency-irrespective of whether they were visually graded or measured-exhibited the lowest correlation (r = 0.05-0.09; p > 0.05), probably due to its diffused appearance on extracted unsectioned teeth, undermining proper delineation. PDL attachment level and attrition entered the stepwise regression analysis (R = 0.46; p < 0.01), implying that age may be estimated 'clinically' without the necessity for tooth extraction; however, low correlation and high error rates preclude its routine usage in forensic cases.
Background:
The average stage of attrition in permanent first and second molars is an established method of age estimation in the adult population. The study was conducted with an objective of age estimation from the average stage of attrition of permanent molars.
Methods:
A total of 451 individuals of age more than 20 years were examined. Nepalese individuals with intact first and second permanent molars in the maxillary and mandibular arch on either side were included. The average stage of attrition of the maxillary first and second permanent molars on either side was calculated and subjected to regression analysis to derive equations.
Results:
Among a total of 451 participants, 231 (51.22%) were females and 220 (48.78%) males, with a mean age of 44.3 ± 13.9 years. There was a strong correlation between age and average stage of attrition of molars. The correlation was stronger for upper molars compared to the lowers. Additionally, the mean of the difference between real age and estimated age was lower for maxillary compared to mandibular molars. Compared to age estimation by univariable regression, multivariable regression had greater accuracy. Similarly, estimation of age from maxillary molars was more accurate as compared to mandibular (difference in years: 3.82 ± 3.03 for maxillary molars and 5.17 ± 4.2 for mandibular molars).
Conclusions:
Maxillary teeth are better for age estimation and using both maxillary first and second permanent molars gives better accuracy.
In this paper, age estimation models introduced with automatic preprocessing of the T-1 weighted images, dimension reduction via principal component analysis, training of a multiple regression model, and then estimating the age of the subjects from the test samples. The regression model is automatically trained from a diverse set of 80 adult subjects (age 60–92 years) exhibiting significant variation to discover anatomical structure related to age and deformation. The methods proved to be a reliable one for age estimation in healthy subjects, yielding a correlation of r = 0.780 between the estimated and real age in the test samples and a mean absolute error of 2.155 years for PCAR method, and r = 0.834 and a mean absolute error of 2.092years for the PCA-ML method. To test the potential of these proposed age estimation models in the clinical situation, very mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) subject's age has been estimated.
Recent theoretical progress potentially refutes past claims that paleodemographic estimations are flawed by statistical problems, including age mimicry and sample bias due to differential preservation. The life expectancy at age 15 of the Jomon period prehistoric populace in Japan was initially estimated to have been ∼16 years while a more recent analysis suggested 31.5 years. In this study, we provide alternative results based on a new methodology. The material comprises 234 mandibular canines from Jomon period skeletal remains and a reference sample of 363 mandibular canines of recent-modern Japanese. Dental pulp reduction is used as the age-indicator, which because of tooth durability is presumed to minimize the effect of differential preservation. Maximum likelihood estimation, which theoretically avoids age mimicry, was applied. Our methods also adjusted for the known pulp volume reduction rate among recent-modern Japanese to provide a better fit for observations in the Jomon period sample. Without adjustment for the known rate in pulp volume reduction, estimates of Jomon life expectancy at age 15 were dubiously long. However, when the rate was adjusted, the estimate results in a value that falls within the range of modern hunter-gatherers, with significantly better fit to the observations. The rate-adjusted result of 32.2 years more likely represents the true life expectancy of the Jomon people at age 15, than the result without adjustment. Considering ∼7% rate of antemortem loss of the mandibular canine observed in our Jomon period sample, actual life expectancy at age 15 may have been as high as ∼35.3 years.
The indestructible nature of teeth against most of the environmental abuses makes its use in disaster victim identification (DVI). The present study has been undertaken to examine the reliability of Gustafson’s qualitative method and Kedici’s quantitative method of measuring secondary dentine for age estimation among North Western adult Indians. 196 (M = 85; F = 111) single rooted teeth were collected from the Department of Oral Health Sciences, PGIMER, Chandigarh. Ground sections were prepared and the amount of secondary dentine formed was scored qualitatively according to Gustafson’s (0–3) scoring system (method 1) and quantitatively following Kedici’s micrometric measurement method (method 2). Out of 196 teeth 180 samples (M = 80; F = 100) were found to be suitable for measuring secondary dentine following Kedici’s method. Absolute mean error of age was calculated by both methodologies. Results clearly showed that in pooled data, method 1 gave an error of ±10.4 years whereas method 2 exhibited an error of approximately ±13 years. A statistically significant difference was noted in absolute mean error of age between two methods of measuring secondary dentine for age estimation. Further, it was also revealed that teeth extracted for periodontal reasons severely decreased the accuracy of Kedici’s method however, the disease had no effect while estimating age by Gustafson’s method. No significant gender differences were noted in the absolute mean error of age by both methods which suggest that there is no need to separate data on the basis of gender.
Until 2008, the easternmost land borders of the European Union (Greek-Turkish land zone) were planted with minefields spanning 11 km. Therefore, numerous fatalities occurred in peacetime as migrants attempted to avoid Greek border checks. Numerous fatal incidents (51) were detected inside the Greek minefields between 1997 and 2008. Determination of age, sex, time of death, and nationality were evaluated in every case. The injuries' anatomical dispersion, their severity, and the mechanism of death were examined in relation to the victims' position at the moment of the explosion. Data research indicated that all victims were male, aged 18-30 in their majority, crossing border minefields mainly during the night. Their distance and position in relation to the point of detonation was a key factor in the trauma localization and severity. This review highlights the devastating consequences of the residual mines during peacetime, a situation that continues to be a persistent international problem.
The present investigation studied root dentin translucency in relation to age, sex and periodontal disease and its utility in age estimation. Eighty nine (38 males and 51 females) extracted single rooted teeth of known age and sex were procured. After fixation and cleaning, longitudinal ground sections of 250 µm were prepared. Length of root dentin translucency was measured on Adobe photoshop CS3 from dried scanned sections. Results showed that root dentine translucency increased with age. A significant difference was noted in the amount of translucent dentin in different age groups but not in two sexes. No effect of periodontal status was observed on the amount of translucent dentin. No significant divergence between actual and estimated age was noticed in pooled data and in two groups of teeth, extracted for periodontal and non-periodontal reasons as well as in two sexes. The method was found to be most promising in subjects of 36-50 years.
Identification of the living person and the dead is of paramount important in forensic odontology practice routinely. Age estimation is one of the prime factors employed to established identity. Estimating age from teeth is generally reliable as they are naturally preserved long after all the tissues and even bone have disintegrated. This paper describes 56 subjects where dental aging was used for identification by Bang and Ramm (BR) method. Roots were sectioned and BR method was employed. Estimated age was under age as compared to actual. This method may be used in forensic odontology for age estimation.
Our research is based on the confrontation of modifications of Gustafson's aging method with the aims of producing of up to date. Identification tables for practical forensic dentistry. The identification tables were produced using the mutual relationship of sum of point values such as the abrasion, the secondary dentine, the secondary cementum , transparency and age.
Selected ontogenetic age estimation methods based on the examination of teeth are reviewed. The authors have presented examination techniques used for determining "dental age", focusing on those utilising morphological changes that take place in hard tissues of the tooth at various stages of life. The authors consider that methods developed for other populations cannot be indiscriminately applied to the Polish population. Furthermore, due to the so-called secular trend, each of these methods should be periodically verified with the aim of developing an optimal odontological formula. In order to estimate age, a series of objectively measurable features should be taken into account in conjunction with the use of various examination techniques.
To establish the identity of an individual, age estimation is necessary not only in cases of living but also in the dead too. Age estimation is one of the important duties of the medico legal officers in recent time as crimes of varied nature are increasing and age constitutes an important factor in relation to the assessment for the award of sentences in all these instances and in all these matters age is inseparably related.
Pulp volume decreases throughout life owing to secondary dentin deposition. Here, we present a Bayesian approach for human age estimation on the basis of the pulp volume ratio from lower-canine teeth. We measured the pulp and tooth volumes of 363 subjects (209 males, 154 females) of known age based on three-dimensional imageries from microcomputed tomography scans. Pulp volume ratio was defined as pulp/tooth volume within the root portion (PVRrt) and its reduction with age was modeled by simple statistical assumptions to produce a likelihood function of PVRrt by fitting the model to the observed data. Following Bayes' theorem, we obtained the probability density function (PDF) of estimated age for a given PVRrt, for males, females, and gender unknowns; we used the modern Japanese population as of 2012 as prior age distribution. The PDF of estimated age provided the mean and 50%, 70%, and 90% prediction intervals, based on which we compared the present age-estimation method with that of Brooks and Suchey (Human Evolution, 5: 227-238), which is based on pubic symphysis metamorphosis. We could not find any advantages of the PVRrt method compared to the Suchey-Brooks method for the case of males or gender unknowns as far as the prediction intervals were concerned. However, for females, the PVRrt method offered comparable precision to the Suchey- Brooks method. Taking into account other advantages such as sustainability of the material and continuous property of the age-indicator value, we conclude that the PVRrt method is useful in forensic cases, especially those involving female victims.
Transparency in the location of the tooth root apex is a normal phenomenon in human ageing and provides important information for determining a person's age. The illumination of root dentine may prove useful when trying to obtain an approximate estimation of a person's age, particularly when no other data can be obtained. Regression analysis could provide a reasonably reliable means of determining an approximate age of human remains and could be used in archaeological investigations. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deux méthodes probabilistes de prédiction d'âge chez l'enfant sont proposées, basées sur la présence radiologique des dents émergées et des germes. À partir d'un échantillon d'apprentissage connu, les modèles discriminants obtenus prédisent l'appartenance à une classe d'âge (±13,±16,±18 ans) ; le modèle bayésien indique, au travers d'un progiciel, une d'appartenance à un intervalle d'âge (<13, [13–16[, [16–18[, ⩾18 ans, ou [X et Y] ans). Appliqués à un échantillon test connu et différent de l'échantillon d'apprentissage, les fonctions linéaires de Fisher présentent plus de 90 % d'enfants bien classés au-dessus du seuil de 13 ans et en dessous des seuils de 16 et 18 ans ; les approches bayésiennes donnent plus de 85 % de bien classés. C'est une alternative probabiliste pour la détermination de l'âge chez l'enfant en anthropologie funéraire ou médico-légale. Pour citer cet article : B. Foti et al., C. R. Biologies 326 (2003).
For a number of years it has been realized that age related morphological changes in the human skeleton are not the most accurate, or precise, means of estimating the age at death for an individual, and that dental changes can be used as an alternative. This paper critically examines three of the methods used for estimating human age from the dentition which have appeared in the forensic science literature, testing them against a known modern sample population. A new statistical technique to improve age estimates is described and applied to some archaeological specimens.
In forensic anthropological casework, estimating age-at-death is key to profiling unknown skeletal remains. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability of a new, simple, fast, and inexpensive digital odontological method for age-at-death estimation. The method is based on the original Lamendin method, which is a widely used technique in the repertoire of odontological aging methods in forensic anthropology. We examined 129 single root teeth employing a digital camera and imaging software for the measurement of the luminance of the teeth's translucent root zone. Variability in luminance detection was evaluated using statistical technical error of measurement analysis. The method revealed stable values largely unrelated to observer experience, whereas requisite formulas proved to be camera-specific and should therefore be generated for an individual recording setting based on samples of known chronological age. Multiple regression analysis showed a highly significant influence of the coefficients of the variables "arithmetic mean" and "standard deviation" of luminance for the regression formula. For the use of this primer multivariate equation for age-at-death estimation in casework, a standard error of the estimate of 6.51 years was calculated. Step-by-step reduction of the number of embedded variables to linear regression analysis employing the best contributor "arithmetic mean" of luminance yielded a regression equation with a standard error of 6.72 years (p < 0.001). The results of this study not only support the premise of root translucency as an age-related phenomenon, but also demonstrate that translucency reflects a number of other influencing factors in addition to age. This new digital measuring technique of the zone of dental root luminance can broaden the array of methods available for estimating chronological age, and furthermore facilitate measurement and age classification due to its low dependence on observer experience.
Contrary to sexing, determining the age at death of human remains is much easier when the remains belong to subadults. In this age range, in fact, aging is based on the analysis of the morphological and metric characteristics of bones and teeth and on the stage of development, since each single structure grows and develops at a different rate and in a different manner. Aging, in these cases, is based on the degree of bone growth (e.g., diaphyseal length), epiphyseal fusion, dental eruption, and tooth mineralization. At around 20 years of age (taking into account the influence of ancestry, nutrition, and health status), dental and bone development terminates (apart from areas such as the clavicle). After 25 years of age, one needs to switch to parameters, which rely on degeneration or alteration in time of bony or dental tissues. The most popular methods of age estimation after 25 years use the pubic symphysis, the fourth rib, and the auricular surface of the ilium. Evaluation of cranial sutures is, on the other hand, very variable and less reliable. Degeneration related to age can also be assessed in teeth, where periodontosis and root translucency can provide fairly accurate age estimation. The microscopic study of bone sections may also provide data concerning age through the evaluation of the number of osteons and secondary osteons, of osteon fragments, and of primary osteons by regression formulae. Finally, chemical methods such as aminoacid racemization also have been tested.
Keywords:
forensic anthropology;
aging;
infants;
subadults;
adults;
microscopy
Tooth development is widely used to estimate age or maturation. Dental age estimation is so important for various research works. Numerous methods have been described to estimate dental age based on the dental maturation. The aims of this study were to decide the best method to estimate dental age on Turkish children by reviewing several methods and to illustrate the differences among the methods and to assist future studies. The records of Turkish children between the ages of 7 and 13 years who visited the Department of Pediatric Dentistry of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Süleyman Demirel University in Isparta, Turkey were reviewed and a total of 425 healthy children with complete records, satisfactory panoramic radiographs, similar socio-economic background and ethnic origin were included. Panoramic radiographs were examined with Nolla's, Haavikko's and Demirjian's methods. Dental age was calculated for each method, and the differences between the estimated dental age and the chronological age were compared with paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test. The accuracy of three methods was obtained with ICC (intraclass correlation coefficient). An under-estimation of the dental age was observed by using Nolla's and Haavikko's methods (boys -0.53±0.95, girls -0.57±0.91, both -0.54±0.93; boys -0.60±0.80, girls -0.56±0.81, both -0.58±0.80, respectively) and an over-estimation of the dental age was observed by using Demirjian's method (boys 0.52±0.86, girls 0.75±0.90, both 0.64±0.89). Haavikko's method was more accurate in the dental age estimation compared to the other methods. All of the three methods are not completely suitable for Turkish children and establishment of the population-specific standards is essential and crucial.
Incluye resumen y conclusiones en inglés Tesis Univ. Granada. Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas. Leída el 29 de mayo de 2007
When one must identify a deceased individual, accurate estimation of the age of the individual is important. Teeth are particularly useful in age evaluations because they display a number of observable age-related variables and they tend to remain intact under circumstances which might alter or obliterate the rest of the skeleton. Where dental records are available, of course, separate determination of age may not be necessary, but when little or no information is available about the deceased individual, a simple estimation of age is of great value.
This is a book review by A. W. F. Edwards (published in Biometrics, 31(2) 229-230) of my books Biometry (by Sokal and Rohlf) and Statistical Tables (by Rohlf and Sokal) both published in 1981.
The Gustafson technique was a significant contribution to forensic identification. Unfortunately, many statistical errors were present in the published articles. It now seems clear that greater precision can be achieved through modification of the original technique. One of the authors (W. R. M.) will report soon on multiple regression formulae that offer both increased precision and technical simplicity.
A study of 83 teeth using Gustafson's Method was made from 59 cases during the three year period from 1969 to 1971, selection being made from the dead bodies brought for medicolegal autopsy to the Osmania General Hospital fortuary, Hyderabad. Ground sections of the teeth were examined and allotted points on an arbitrary scale for each age change. The data finally analyzed and the inferences drawn are discussed. This method was found useful in assessing age even from a single tooth. The average error in this study was ± 8.13 years.
Identification of a murder victim from mandible and tooth
- Rao
N.R.K. Rao, Identification of a murder victim from mandible and tooth, J. Z. Acd Forensic Sci, 18 (19791 l-5.
Age determinations in human teeth
- Johnson