Dental age estimation through volume matching of teeth imaged by cone-beam CT

Forensic Sci Int. 2006 May 15:159 Suppl 1:S78-83. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.02.031. Epub 2006 Mar 23.

Abstract

A custom-made voxel counting software for calculating the ratio between pulp canal versus tooth volume based on cone-beam CT tooth images was developed and evaluated. The aim of this study was to attempt establishing a correlation between the chronological age of a certain individual and the pulp/tooth volume ratio of one of the teeth. Twenty-eight single rooted teeth of 19 individuals with well-known chronological age were scanned by the cone-beam CT (3D Accuitomo, J. Morita, Kyoto, Japan). Next the images were analyzed using the custom-made software. Linear regression analysis was performed. The results of the analysis showed a moderate correlation between the pulp/tooth volume ratio and biological age with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.29. Although the present work was limited to a pilot study, the developed technique showed promising results for dental age estimation in a non-invasive manner using cone-beam CT images in living individuals.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Determination by Teeth / methods*
  • Aged
  • Dental Pulp / diagnostic imaging*
  • Female
  • Forensic Dentistry / methods
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted*
  • Radiography, Dental / methods
  • Tomography, Spiral Computed*
  • Tooth / diagnostic imaging*