Dental Age Estimation Methods for Prenatal and Postnatal Periods
摘要
Dental age estimation (DAE) at death, including the prenatal and postnatal periods of deciduous teeth, is important for a forensic odontologist during identification research conducted on unidentified deceased individuals, human remains, and dental samples that are obtained from oral autopsies. Examining the neonatal line from the scanning electron microscope images of the dental evidence also indicates the mode of delivery of the fetus or newborn, such as normal birth, caesarean section, or stillbirth. The oral autopsy procedures for fetus or newborn cases, entitled “Aka-Canturk Oral Autopsy Method,” are explained in this chapter. Direct and indirect metric DAE studies are highly reliable methods, as teeth undergo a series of chronological changes throughout life. Central incisors have proven to be the most decisive teeth for age estimation in deciduous dentition. Direct odontometric methods comprise measurements of the tooth germ specimens obtained from oral autopsies, which are also strongly correlated with head circumference or measurements of the erupted teeth in situ with callipers. The indirect methods cover the tooth measurements from dental casts or computed tomography digital images. Dental age is finally estimated after placing these measurements in the age regression formulas described and listed in this section, where; “ATA Formulas” and “Age Formulas with Head Circumference” are used for direct DAE methods, and “Virtual Dental Identification Formulas” are used for Indirect DAE methods.