Sexual dimorphism using odontometric indexes: Analysis of three statistical techniques

Area of Science:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Odontology
• Human Identification

Background:

• Sexual dimorphism is crucial for identification processes.
• Teeth provide valuable anthropological data for sex determination.
• Dental metrics offer a reliable method for forensic analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sexual dimorphism in Brazilian adults using dental measurements.
• To compare the efficacy of three statistical methods for sex determination.
• To identify specific teeth that are best indicators of sex.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of mesiodistal (MD) and buccolingual (BL) tooth diameters from 200 Brazilian adults (100 male, 100 female).
• Measurements taken from plaster models of maxillary and mandibular teeth, excluding third molars.
• Application of Logistic Regression, Linear Discriminant Function, and KNN discriminant analysis.

Main Results:

• Sexual dimorphism was confirmed in Brazilian adults through dental measurements.
• Male participants exhibited larger average tooth dimensions than female participants.
• Canine and molar measurements were the most effective indicators of sexual dimorphism.
• KNN discriminant analysis demonstrated superior accuracy in sex determination.

Conclusions:

• Dental measurements are a viable tool for assessing sexual dimorphism in Brazilian adults.
• Multivariate statistical techniques, especially KNN, enhance the accuracy of sex determination.
• Canines and molars are significant dental elements for forensic sex identification.