Estimating Dental Age Using the Pulp/Tooth Perimeter Ratio in Maxillary Canines by Digital Panoramic Radiography

Introduction: Teeth can be used to determine age in forensic medicine if none of the other techniques of identification are appropriate. The researchers used panoramic radiographs from patients referred to Yazd Shahid Sadoughi Dental School to determine age using pulp/tooth perimeter ratio. 
Methods: In this diagnostic study, 800 panoramic digital radiographs were examined and the age of the patients was recorded. The pulp/tooth perimeter ratio of the maxillary canine was calculated by using AutoCAD software, and the patient's age was estimated by using a regression equation. Then, a comparison was made between the estimated age and the actual age using this method. The role of sex, tooth placement in each quadrant and decade of age was examined in this ratio. For analysis, linear regression and paired T-test and correlation coefficients according to age and gender were used in SPSS 16 statistical software. 
Results: A linear regression model was used to estimate the age using pulp/tooth perimeter ratio. As a result, the Pearson correlation coefficient between age and pulp/tooth perimeter ratio was r = -0/08. We discovered a negative and significant correlation between these two variables with a P= 0.024. Likewise, the correlation coefficient in women was calculated r = -0.087, which with P= 0.037, this correlation is also significant and inverse. 
Conclusion: The study showed that estimating age using the pulp/tooth perimeter ratio of the maxillary canine is a reliable method and the pulp/tooth perimeter ratio on the left side is correlated with dental age. Thus, using the pulp/tooth perimeter ratio to estimate age in women is also valid.