Tooth enamel as a forensic clock: A histological study evaluating enamel structures for forensic age assessment using...

Area of Science:

• Forensic odontology
• Dental histology
• Age estimation

Background:

• Dental evidence is reliable in forensic investigations.
• Tooth enamel's durability aids postmortem analysis.
• Histological features of enamel may indicate age, species, or gender.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate histological enamel structures for age assessment.
• To determine the accuracy of enamel features in predicting age.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 120 premolar samples (ages 12-55).
• Stereomicroscopic examination of linear enamel hypoplasia.
• Ground sectioning for lamellae counting and polarizing microscopy for hypo-mineralization zones.

Main Results:

• The C5.0 predictive model achieved the highest accuracy (85.30%) for age determination.
• Lamellae number was the most significant predictor of age.
• Predictive accuracy varied across age groups, with higher accuracy for younger groups.

Conclusions:

• Unique enamel profiles can assist in identifying individuals from mass disasters or damaged remains.
• Routine documentation of enamel defects by dentists is recommended for forensic comparisons.