NCJ Number
223864
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 53 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2008 Pages: 790-792
Date Published
July 2008
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This study examined the usefulness of buccolingual (BL) and mesiodistal (MD) tooth dimension measurements in differentiating sex when used independently.
Abstract
The analyses for MD measurements distinguished sex better than those for BL dimensions; however, the accuracy of the analyses for MD variables was lower than those derived by combining BL and MD dimensions. Thus, although MD measurements are better suited than BL dimensions in determining sex when used independently, best results in sex assessment from dental features are obtained when both MD and BL measurements are considered together. The study examined the dentitions of 53 young adults from Nepal (22 women and 31 men) ages 19-28. The participants provided casts of their dentitions. Impressions of the teeth were made using alginate material, and the casts were poured in dental stone. The MD and BL dimensions of all teeth, excluding third molars, were measured on the casts with a digital caliper. The MD measurements were defined as the greatest dimension between the contact points on the approximate surfaces of the crown measured with the caliper beaks placed occlusally along the long axis of the tooth. The BL measurement was defined as the greatest distance between the labial/buccal surface and the lingual surface of the tooth crown measured with the caliper held at right angles to the MD dimension. Upon obtaining the measurements, three stepwise discriminant analyses (one for both jaws, one each for the maxilla and mandible) were performed separately for BL and MD dimensions using the SPSS 10.0 statistical software program. The three analyses were undertaken considering the availability of both or either jaw in forensic scenarios. 2 tables and 17 references