Teeth: List of tables

Recent research indicates that tooth-cementum annulations (TCA) may be used more reliably than other morphological or histological traits of the adult skeleton to estimate age. Until now, however, confidence intervals for age estimated by this method have not been available for paleodemographic and forensic applications. The present study addresses this problem. Based on a large known-age sample, age estimates by TCA were conducted in a blind study involving 363 teeth. Tooth-root cross sections were made using a refined preparation technique. Improved digital graphic procedures and enhancement strategies were used to produce digital images with a specially adapted software package. This resulted in high concordance between the TCA age estimates and chronological age. Assessment of the method's accuracy, as expressed by 95% confidence intervals, showed that error bounds for age estimates do not exceed 2.5 years. Sex differences, intraindividual correlations, and the effects of periodontal disease were studied. None of these indicators had a quantitative effect on the number of TCA bands when the proposed methodological standard was followed. We conclude that the TCA technique is a reliable method for estimating a subject's age from cementum annulations.

Tooth cementum annulation for age estimation: results from a large known-age validation study.

https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/1047403/file/1047432.pdf

EPR dosimetry with tooth enamel: A review

Age-related changes of the dental pulp complex and their relationship to systemic aging.

Physical anthropologists have long been called upon to apply their knowledge of human skeletal biology to practical problems of concern to the medicolegal system. The discipline of forensic anthropology arose out of this need to determine and assess the characteristics of an individual. The present paper traces the development of forensic anthropology and analyzes its brief historical roots, methodological advances, and the role it now plays in both the anthropological community and the criminal justice system. Since its formal establishment as a section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in 1972, the discipline has made great strides, especially in the determination of demographic characteristics such as age, sex, and race. There is, however, a dearth of research on the factors of individualization accompanied by a proliferation of improperly designed studies. Unfortunately, further progress is limited by the absence of a precisely documented, modern skeletal collection. This paper also addresses the issue of identification and the problems associated with current approaches and the interpretation of results. This critical review of the field leads to the conclusion that the future of forensic anthropology depends on the commitment of its practitioners and investigators to the research and development of forensically applicable techniques.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ajpa.1330310510

Rise of forensic anthropology

Intact teeth were obtained from three cadavers of known age 56, 67, and 76 years, respectively. Cross-sections 100-150 micrometers thick were taken from the roots using a diamond saw. Individual sections were stained, mounted on glass slides, and photographed on a light microscope. The usual number of years for the eruption of any particular tooth were added to the annulation count to determine the estimated age for that cadaver.

Cemental Annulation as an Age Criterion in Forensic Dentistry

Teeth from 18 marmosets, seven months to 5.8 years of age, were studied histologically. A minimum of one dark and one light band comprised one cemental annulation. Age was estimated by counting the number of annulations and adding four months to premolar and eight months to canine teeth for tooth development. Cemental annulations were most consistent near the gingival border on the labial aspect of the tooth. The method will be valuable in estimating the ages of marmosets and other nonhuman primates.

G.G. Stott

Papers

Cemental Annulation as an Age Criterion in Forensic Dentistry

Cemented annulation as an age criterion in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).