AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, cilt.47, sa.3, ss.293-305, 2015 (SCI-Expanded)
Dental identification from tooth structures can offer a major contribution to forensic science in oral autopsy procedures. Recently, digital virtual examinations have been preferred instead of traditional operations. The aim of this research is to estimate the chronological age from primary teeth using computerised tomography images and to determine the best measurement from the axes of these images. This study was conducted on the dental images of 28 patients of known age (1-195weeks) using the central teeth measurements that can be displayed on the two image axes. The results show that virtual dental identification from computerised tomography images is a reliable method. The best measurements for age estimation can be obtained from the longest vertical dimension in the sagittal plane, which is the tooth height (R-2=96.4). Additionally, the best age estimation formula was generated from the tooth height with labio-lingual measurement (R-2=98.1), where the margin of error of the mean predicted value was equal to +/- 1.07weeks. This age estimation formula can be applied up to two years of age, which is the completion of upper central primary tooth development. In conclusion, virtual dental identification procedures can be applied in cases of forensic odontology investigations.