Comparative evaluation of first molar odontometry and mandibular measurements technique for gender determination

Forensic odontology leverages durable teeth and mandibular structures to estimate sex in mass disasters and criminal investigations, yet optimal measurement approaches remain underexplored. Therefore, it is of interest to compare linear (mesiodistal, buccolingual) and diagonal (mesiobuccal-dentilingual, distobuccal-mesiolingual) odontometric dimensions of mandibular first molars and ramus morphometry on OPGs in 140 Indian adults (70 males, 70 females; 18-35 years). Males exhibited larger values across parameters; diagonal odontometry showed the highest dimorphism (9.93% ML-DB36) and accuracy (95% logistic regression) versus linear (80%, buccolingual best) and ramus measures (65.7% max, coronoid/condylar heights optimal). Diagonal measurements outperformed linear and ramus parameters, challenging traditional approaches to mandibular sex assessment. Thus, diagonal odontometry is superior (95% accuracy) for Indian populations, suggesting multimodal 3D validation for global applicability.