Digitilized Radiographic Analysis of Coronal Pulp for Age Estimation in Adults using Tooth Coronal Index Method – A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Teeth have become a valuable index to estimate age of an individual in forensic odontology. Although various methods have been reported in forensic literature for age estimation, radiographic methods are simple and require less expertise. Digitalization of panoramic radiographs and intraoral periapical radiographs helps in obtaining the more precise images and accurate measurements. Secondary dentin continuously gets deposited on pulpal surface throughout the life thus reducing the size of the pulp cavity. The Tooth Coronal Index (TCI) method is the indirect assessment of secondary dentin deposition for age estimation. Aim: This study aims to estimate the Tooth Coronal Index of mandibular first molar and its correlation with chronological age to derive a regression equation. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 adults above 20 years of age were selected from the outpatient department of our college. Digital intraoral periapical radiographs were taken by using Radiovisiography (RVG) for mandibular first molar. The crown height and Coronal Pulp Cavity Height were measured and then TCI was calculated. Further the data were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Statistically significant difference was observed between age and TCI (p<0.05*) and statistically insignificant difference observed between gender and TCI (p>0.05). Conclusion: The Tooth Coronal Index provides more accurate estimation of age and it is a simple, non invasive and cost-effective method that could be easily applied for both living and dead individuals without any highly specialized equipment.