Stature Prediction by Comparing Maxillary and Mandibular Intercanine Width and Intermolar Width among Tamil Nadu...

Teeth are one of the strongest hard tissues that can resist a variety of antemortem and postmortem insults and an important evidence in the field of medicolegal and forensics. In the identification of unknown human remains of the deceased, stature estimation is a preliminary investigation. Previously, the comparison of osteometry with odontometry in stature determination has been made. Similarly, an attempt is made to estimate stature using intercanine and intermolar width which may be a forensic tool in the future.

The aim of this study was to determine stature using intercanine and intermolar width in the maxillary and mandibular arches and correlating to identify highly reliable parameter among the two. Further to evaluate the usefulness of odontometry in stature determination.

Subjects for the study were recruited from the outpatient department of APDCH and students of APDCH. One hundred subjects were included in the study comprising fifty males and fifty females within the age group of 17-28 years as per inclusion criteria. Digital Vernier caliper for measuring intercanine width (cusp tips on either sides) and intermolar width (central fossa of 1^st molar on either sides) on the study models and standard anthropometer for measuring the height of the subject (vertex to the floor).

Compared to other parameters, the maxillary intercanine distance is statistically significant to P = 0.05 with correlation value of 0.06 by Pearson correlation method.

The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis and was found that out of the four selected odontometric parameters, maxillary intercanine width with a P = of 0.032 and Pearson correlation of 0.307 in Group 1 (males) were found to show a significant correlation with height. Regression analysis was done, and regression equations were derived. The following regression equation can be used to calculate the height of an individual, Group 1 (male) -Y = B+ Ax. Y = 135.5 + 0.947X (X - maxillary inter canine width). This method of stature prediction may be of relative importance but not of absolute certainty, thereby making it an adjunct to various other methods of stature prediction. Therefore, using odontometric parameters in combination improves the predictability of estimating stature rather than a single parameter.