A Pilot Study Investigating Tooth Wear as a Possible Aging Indicator in a Modern Population

This study explores the correlation between tooth wear and age at death of modern people to appreciate the appropriateness of using tooth wear as an independent aging indicator in a forensic context. As a pilot study, dentition of 73 White males was examined from the William M. Bass Donated Collection. For the sake of consistency in methodology with previous studies, traditional regression models were used, though Bayesian methods are becoming increasingly popular. The results showed a low level of correlation between tooth wear and age, particularly when compared to previous age estimation studies in general. Therefore, it was concluded that tooth wear alone is not an appropriate age indicator for a modern population. This study is expected to provide a quantitative basis for future research to develop new age estimation methods using teeth.