Age estimation based on pulp/tooth volume ratio measured on cone-beam CT images

After tooth eruption, the size of the pulp cavity decreases with age owing to deposition of secondary dentine. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between the chronological age and the ratio of pulp volume (PV) to tooth volume (TV) measurements using CBCT images of single rooted teeth.

Maxillary anterior, canine and mandibular canine/premolar CBCT scans of patients older than 15 years of age were collected from the archives between 2013 and 2015 years. Patients with CBCT scans of teeth were seen in detail and patients with known chronological age were included. Teeth with caries, filling or crown restorations, periapical pathologies or pulps that could not be identified were excluded. Consequently, 204 patients with 655 teeth were evaluated. The PV and the TV of each tooth was measured and then the PV/TV ratio was calculated. Simple linear regression analysis was performed in order to predict age estimation by using PV/TV.

The PV/TV of all teeth ranged between 0.01 and 0.08. A negative correlation was found between the PV/TV ratio and age (p < 0.05). The regression analysis showed the highest Pearson correlation (0.532) for the maxillary central incisor tooth. Considering measurements of the PV/TV of all assessed teeth, there was no significant difference in the intercept between both gender (p > 0.05).

This study revealed that PV/TV ratio was not gender dependent and the strongest correlation was found between the age and PV/TV ratio measured on maxillary central incisors than other teeth.