Permanent Maxillary Odontometrics for Sex Estimation Based on a 3-Dimensional Digital Method

Abstract

Background In the field of forensic medicine, sex estimation is a critical step in personal identification. Teeth are the hardest tissue and have high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance. In cases such as an airplane crash or the corpse of an unknown person, teeth often play a crucial role in identification. This study applied 3-dimensional technology to obtain odontometrics of permanent maxillary teeth and to examine the sexual dimorphism, finding suitable discriminant indicators to construct appropriate equations for sex estimation. Material/Methods A total of 204 participants (104 men and 100 women) from the Han population in Kashgar were included. Plaster models of their maxillary dentition were obtained to scan and measure through an accepted and commonly used 3-dimensional digital method. Descriptive statistics, t tests, and discriminant analyses were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS 23.0 software. Results This study showed high intra- and interexaminer reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.950). There were statistically significant sex-related differences ( P <0.05), with male values generally being higher for buccolingual distance, mesiodistal distance, intercanine distance, crown area, crown module, crown index, and maxillary canine index. Compared with other measurements, mesiodistal distance and crown area indicator exhibited distinct sexual dimorphism. In addition, several appropriate equations were constructed through different discriminant analyses that could be used to estimate sex in our specific population. Conclusions Three-dimensional digital technology offers a promising method for odontometry. Combining mesiodistal distance and buccolingual distance of particular teeth or using maxillary canine index in discriminant functions are acceptable auxiliary tools for sex estimation in the forensic field.

Gender Dimorphism in Maxillary Permanent Canine Odontometrics Based on a Three-Dimensional Digital Method and Discriminant Function Analysis in the Saudi Population

“…Gupta et al [30] reported a higher percentage of gender dimorphism with respect to maxillary ICD and found that the right canine was more dimorphic compared to the left canine. Liu et al (2021), in a study on the Chinese population, revealed a slightly higher percentage (4.26%) of gender dimorphism for MD width of the left canine compared to the right canine (4.18%) [24]. In contrast to the present findings, a previous study on the Saudi Arabian population found a lower magnitude of gender dimorphism for maxillary canines [16].…”

“…In the present study, it was observed that the males had a tendency to have statistically significant higher mean values of ICD compared to the female counterparts (p < 0.001). This finding was consistent with those of other authors [16,24,30]. However, Shetty et al [32] and Alanazi et al [33], in their studies, reported no statistically significant differences in the mean maxillary ICD between males and females.…”

“…This study revealed significant gender dimorphism in the MD width and ICD of the maxillary canines, with males showing larger corresponding mean values than females, which was in accordance with previous studies [24,30,31]. The results of gender dimorphism of the maxillary canine in the present study showed a greater dimorphism in the MD width of the right canine (3.5%), followed by ICD (3.14%).…”

“…Measurements of linear dimensions of teeth have been reported to be simple, less time-consuming, reliable, noninvasive, and easy to perform when compared to other forensic techniques. Several authors had concluded the MD dimension to be a better predictor of gender than the buccolingual diameter [23,24]. Odontometric studies evaluating gender dimorphism in teeth dimensions had performed measurements conventionally using an electronic digital caliper, either intraorally or from the dental casts using an indirect method, radiographs, or using Raman spectra of teeth [8,25].…”