Assessment of Tooth Metrics in Gender Determination-A Cross Sectional Study

Gender determination is of prime importance in forensic investigations as it halves the number of possible matches [1]. Teeth are the hardest and most stable tissues in the body. Variations in size, appearance and stature of a particular object which can differentiate a male from female is referred to as sexual dimorphism. Odontometrics play an important role in assessing the gender of the individual, even before the secondary sexual characteristics are established. Teeth being the central component of masticatory apparatus, acts as an excellent tissue in genetic, odontologic, forensic and anthropological investigations. It is also resistant taphonomic degration compared to bone, which makes them a valuable tool in forensic identification and research. They are resistant to peri- and post-martem degradation, making them ideal for medico-legal investigation, such as in cases of mass fatalities where bodies have been damaged beyond recognition. Odontometric parameters such as mesiodistal and buccolingual dimensions have been shown to prove as accurate means for assessment of gender. Inter cuspal distances may also exhibit significant sexual dimorphism, compared to those obtained from conventional crown length and breadth dimensions [2]. The metrical approach to determining the gender is less subjective and more structured where repeated measurements can be taken to minimize error of the obtained results [1]. The existence of sexual dimorphism in canines and maxillary molars has been reported in the literature. However there is a void in the analysis of odontometrics in maxillary premolars. Hence this study intends to fill this void by determining the maxillary canine, maxillary first molar and maxillary first premolar odontometrics in establishing the dimorphic nature of Indian population.