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Age Estimation of Infants Through Metric Analysis of Developing Anterior Deciduous Teeth
Joan Viciano1, Stefano De Luca2, Javier Irurita3
1Operative Unit of Anthropology, Department of Medicine and Ageing Sciences, 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Piazza Trento e Trieste 1, Chieti, 66100, Italy.
Insights
Accurate infant age estimation is possible using developing deciduous teeth measurements. Regression equations derived from dental dimensions provide reliable age predictions for infants up to 1,081 days old.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Anthropology
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Human Biology
Background:
- Accurate age estimation in infants is crucial for various applications, including legal and medical contexts.
- Deciduous teeth development offers a potential indicator for age assessment in early childhood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop regression equations for estimating infant age based on deciduous tooth dimensions.
- To investigate the influence of sex as an independent variable in age estimation equations.
Main Methods:
- Collected data from 97 infants (2 days to 1,081 days old) with known sex and age.
- Developed regression equations for age estimation using combined sexes and separately for each sex.
- Analyzed the statistical significance and predictive advantage of including sex as a variable.
Main Results:
- Regression equations demonstrated good fits for most age estimations.
- The 'sex' factor was statistically significant in several equations but provided a practical advantage in only a few.
- Measurements of developing deciduous teeth proved effective for accurate infant age estimation.
Conclusions:
- Dental dimensions of developing deciduous teeth are reliable indicators for infant age estimation.
- While sex can be a significant factor, its inclusion does not always substantially improve age estimation accuracy.
- The developed regression equations offer a valuable tool for forensic and clinical applications requiring precise infant age assessment.
Abstract:
This study provides regression equations for estimation of age of infants from the dimensions of their developing deciduous teeth. The sample comprises 97 individuals of known sex and age (62 boys, 35 girls), aged between 2 days and 1,081 days. The age-estimation equations were obtained for the sexes combined, as well as for each sex separately, thus including "sex" as an independent variable. The values of the correlations and determination coefficients obtained for each regression equation indicate good fits for most of the equations obtained. The "sex" factor was statistically significant when included as an independent variable in seven of the regression equations. However, the "sex" factor provided an advantage for age estimation in only three of the equations, compared to those that did not include "sex" as a factor. These data suggest that the ages of infants can be accurately estimated from measurements of their developing deciduous teeth.