A Cross-Sectional Study on the Presence of Mamelons in Northeastern India

Introduction Dental anthropology plays a pivotal role in human evolution and forensic sciences. This study explores a unique method for age estimation-analyzing mamelons on incisors. Mamelons are small projections on the incisal edge of permanent incisors, exhibiting age-related changes. This departure from conventional methods presents an innovative and potentially efficient approach to age estimation. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in two tertiary care medical institutes and one private clinic in northeastern India over three months. Participants from the community, selected through convenient sampling, underwent data collection on demographic and habit-related variables. The sample size was 1000 teeth, and the age of participants was 5-40 years. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic and habit-related variables. The primary statistical analysis involved Pearson correlation tests to explore the relationships between categorical, demographic, and habit-related variables. The presence or absence of mamelons on incisors was determined using intraoral examination and study casts. Statistical analysis was performed using Python software. Results A total of 60.8% of teeth showed the presence of mamelons. Typical Three Mamelon Configurations with lobes of similar size constituted the majority (53%). Coefficients were statistically significant in age groups 5-7 years (0.5407), 8-10 years (0.5579), and 11-13 years (0.5476). Malocclusion could lead to the retention of mamelons even in higher age groups. Conclusion Estimating age through mamelons on incisors is a promising avenue in dental anthropology and forensics. Despite the need for further validation and research across diverse populations, its non-invasiveness and forensic applications make it a valuable addition to age estimation methodologies. The presence of mamelons showed a significant reduction with age and was significantly found in tribal communities. However, there was no strong relation with sex, diet, or brushing habits.