Development of age-estimation formula using postmortem oral findings: A pilot study.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Dental Forensics
• Biometrics

Background:

• Accurate age estimation is crucial in forensic investigations.
• Dental findings offer a reliable method for age assessment, particularly in adults.
• Previous methods have limitations in accuracy and applicability across diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel age-estimation formula based on intraoral findings in Japanese adults.
• To evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of the developed formula.
• To identify specific dental indicators that correlate with chronological age.

Main Methods:

• Collected intraoral data from 198 deceased Japanese adults.
• Established 20 intraoral findings and seven tooth states for analysis.
• Utilized logistic, linear, and multiple regression analyses to correlate findings with age.

Main Results:

• Identified age-dependent intraoral findings including tooth stump, edentulous jaw, attrition, no caries, and dental prostheses.
• Developed a multiple regression formula estimating age within ±10 years for 61.05% of all subjects.
• Achieved higher accuracy (76.47-86.96%) for individuals aged 60-79 years.

Conclusions:

• The developed age-estimation formula is effective for middle-aged to older Japanese adults.
• Intraoral findings provide valuable data for forensic age assessment.
• Further validation in diverse populations is recommended for broader applicability.