Evaluation of the maximum length of deciduous teeth for estimation of the age of infants and young children: proposal of new regression formulas

Abstract

The methodology used to identify individuals in forensic anthropology requires a minimum degree of precision and accuracy and should be based on identified and representative samples. Achievement of these objectives in infant skeletons is hampered by the scarcity of appropriate samples. The dental age estimation methods of Liversidge et al. (Am J Phys Anthropol 90: 307–313, 1993) and Deutsch et al. (Growth 49: 207–17, 1985) were applied to the Granada osteological collection of identified infants (Granada, Spain) in order to evaluate its applicability in a Mediterranean population. Significant differences were found between the estimated and real ages in both cases. Based on the measurements obtained in 140 fetuses and infants, new regression formulas were developed to estimate age from the metric study on deciduous teeth. Independent functions are provided for each deciduous maxillary and mandibular tooth in each sex, along with the margin of error (95 % confidence interval). These formulas appear to offer one of the best methods available for estimating the age of Mediterranean infants in forensic anthropology settings.